


Sand and Water

by CGHope5



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 00:32:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 65,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15085127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CGHope5/pseuds/CGHope5
Summary: "The more sand that has escaped through the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it."Wyatt makes a choice on the latest mission, but when he returns in the Lifeboat, everything is different again.





	1. Time to Think

**Author's Note:**

> This just needed to start the story and set the tone. My first time writing fiction, hopefully you enjoy it!  
> Set after S2, ep 7. I don't own Timeless, but I love it enough to write about it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a story about Wyatt. He finally realizes that he has made some bad choices and has spent time thinking about how to fix this.

The door to the lifeboat opened and the first thing Wyatt saw was Jessica. He leaned back in his seat to give himself another moment to breathe away the nausea mixed with some uncertainty. This trip had been different, with Lucy staying behind as he, Flynn, and Rufus went on a fact finding mission about President Hoover’s involvement with Rittenhouse. The plan was to enter a Gentleman’s Club and search for some information about the veterans protest planned the next week, then return back to report to Agent Christopher so they could hopefully get ahead of Emma and her Rittenhouse plans. Lucy hadn’t been feeling well, claiming a cold and the need to do some research, so they went without her. The job was uneventful as planned, with each team member finding out some details through the long hours at the club. Most men might have looked at this trip with some level of interest to be able to see inside a club of this caliber in New York City, but the three team members all had other things on their minds and no desire to be anywhere near that place. 

During his time alone at the bar, fending off desperate patrons and waitresses hoping for a nice tip or free drink, Wyatt thought about his situation with Jessica and Lucy. He didn’t know what about the smoke and beer smelling night that made things so clear, but he had finally figured out what was happening to him and what to do about it. He was going to leave Jessica.  


When he lost Jessica, his Jessica, he tortured himself with reminders of their first date and first kiss, the lazy mornings spent in bed, and the night they said their wedding vows. While he strained to remember every moment with her, he forgot the yelling, the petty arguments about nothing, and the anger and jealousy that eventually led to her death. It’s easy to make someone into the perfect person in death, when they weren’t perfect in life. Before she died, they were broken with too many cracks to repair. Wyatt went on a wild chase to return her to life, but he failed and in doing so, learned that he could live again with a new family, friends, and love in his life. He had grown in the past year from an immature solider racing around the world on daring missions, to someone who put his new family first and cared for their safety above his own. They had their share of close calls and wild moments on the Time Team, but he hadn’t ever known that he could feel so alive and so loved by this family.  


At first, he thought it was just Lucy. That spark that turned into a wildfire without him realizing it and making every moment with her burn. Wyatt knew he loved her long before he would admit it to her or anyone else, but it had to be right and both of them had to be ready for him to admit it. The night in Hollywood had made him realize just how far gone he was, and not the activities of the night, those were amazing, but the song, the look she gave him made his eyes glass over with tears thinking, “no baby doll, you made ME love YOU.” Wyatt was ready to move forward, he had Lucy and his bunker family to support him. While having a love in your life is wonderful, knowing how many others cared for him made it right. Mama bear Agent Christopher, his brother Rufus, crazy sister Jiya, slightly off uncle Connor. And, he grudgingly admits, even Flynn had found his place as the black sheep cousin who he might occasionally invite to a BBQ (once he forgave the dozens of murder attempts over the past year). They were weird and fun and intense and all hurting in some way, but they were together and having his family made the bunker and all those missions bearable.  


Then Jessica came back.

The text that changed everything, proving to him that she was there, never gone in most of his bunker families eyes. No one understood his urgency to see her, touch her, hear her voice again, except for Rufus and Lucy….Lucy, who he had broken when he answered the phone and told her of Jessica’s return. He said he didn’t regret anything, but he did. If he could go back before any of it happened so it didn’t hurt her, he would. He knows it would hurt him deeply to have never felt those brown eyes on him as he held her, but it was his burden and curse, it never should have happened to Lucy.  


When Jessica came back, he had no one to talk to about her return and what it meant, the Bunker Family was all involved in their own things or not understanding how hard it was for them, and he knows he made some fast decisions that he should not have made. For a selfishly shining moment, he thought he could have his wife back and keep his family together. But she was the drop of water at the center of the rock, slowly breaking it down until it was just sand. Conversations became more tense, moments more furtive, looks more sad, until his relationships with everyone had suffered from Jessica’s presence. And Jessica noticed as well, making their relationship darker, and the old ways of his immature past-self came creeping back. He noticed the change on missions and cursed as he caught himself acting out by responding too quickly or being angry at situations he had no logical right to be angry about. He wanted Jessica to fit in and be a part of the family, but it became clear she never would be. Most of it was due to Lucy.

Bless her she tried. Lucy gave him permission in a sense, she encouraged him to try again with his wife and defended him bringing Jessica to the bunker. He didn’t mean to take so much advantage of the kindness she showed him daily, but somehow he did. In 1919, she finally told him how hurt she had been, and while he knew she had been sad, the weight of that hit him like a truck. Wyatt had promised her that she hadn’t lost him, than he left her like the rest of her family had. Never had he hated himself so much as when she turned away to give the speech that would ensure Women’s Suffrage would survive. He would have died before he let anyone else hurt her that day and thankfully they both lived to walk away with a new perspective on where they stood with each other. Inside, Wyatt was more conflicted then ever. She had made him a better person, she had forced him to grow and face his demons, she gave him hope and life and he rewarded her with pain and uncertainty, loss and regret. 

Late that night, he allowed himself to think about life with Lucy. She would boss him around and tell him to mow the lawn and pick up his wet towels and he would have loved every minute of it. The last couple weeks had been the worst as her connection with Flynn deepened and he felt a jealousy that was so mixed with pain and sadness, he couldn’t be around her without brooding and making everyone miserable. Yesterday, she smiled at him and the smile never reached her eyes, it was sad, lost, and he didn’t see the glimmer he had always looked forward to. He realized that he looked forward to seeing her smile more than he did his wife and without consciously knowing it, he had made his choice. 

Sitting in the club alone, he realized that he would have a lot to deal with when they got back. He needed to tell Jessica it was over and knew the hurt and confusion it would cause. Then, he had to talk to Lucy and make her realize how much he had always loved her, that he screwed up and would spend the rest of his life trying to make it up to her, that she was always on his mind and in his heart. Wyatt knew that she might still reject him, that maybe her and Flynn were closer then he thought and as much as it scared him to think that, he would support her. She had the right to make her own choices, he had caused enough damage to her life, he wouldn’t inflict anymore. Besides, this wasn’t just about her, it was about regaining his family, getting the Bunker Family back. As much as he needed Lucy, he needed Rufus and Jiya and Denise and Connor and he was ready to trade them for Jessica. Wyatt wasn’t much of a religious person, but he prayed they would forgive him. When they came back from Hollywood, the new Jessica had been ready to move on with divorce papers in hand and he convinced her to stay, but now, he needed to convince her to leave and hope that she would also understand one day.

Realizing he had spent long enough in the Lifeboat that it was getting noticed, he unbuckled his seat belt and stood up to exit. Seven pairs of eyes watched him as he stood on the steps, Rufus and Flynn had been waiting at the base wondering what was taking him so long while Jiya, Mason, Christopher, and Lucy sat at the computer desks. Jessica stood to the side, smiling and he met her eyes first before turning towards the computer desk. The faces there looked a lot less friendly then he was used to but he gave a half-hearted smile in their direction anyway before walking towards the desk. Agent Christopher approached him first. “Well, anything to report?” “Yes, all three of us were able to gather information about the soldier planning the protest. We didn’t see Emma or any Rittenhouse people, but we can debrief once we get settled.” “Sounds good, Logan. Please go ahead and let us know when you are ready,” she stated as she turned away. Wyatt noticed a bit of ice in her voice and turned to Rufus who had also noticed, but he shrugged as Wyatt felt a hand on his arm. 

“Hey soldier, everything ok?”


	2. Time to Wonder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tell me that's how you want your story to go and we'll write it straight across the sand." Alwyn Hamilton
> 
> Wyatt steps off the lifeboat. Nothing is going well and everyone seems angry with him, making him worry about his plans to talk to Lucy and wonder what is happening.

Jessica. 

“Uh yeah, I just want to talk to the team a bit, I will catch up with you once I am done,” he smiled apologetically. He didn’t notice but he had moved toward the computer desk where Lucy sat. Jessica’s eyes widened and she turned on her heel to stomp away. As Wyatt turned again to the desk, he saw everyone’s positions had shifted. Agent Christopher stood directly in his path while Jiya and Mason had stood on either side of Lucy’s chair, all three looked defensive. Wyatt glanced at Rufus and Flynn to see if they noticed and both were staring at the triangle around Lucy, Flynn had his hands on his hips, head cocked to the side, watching with interest. Rufus was holding the iPad he had grabbed to check and make sure no historical changes had taken place, but his eyes were wide as he stared at Jiya, trying to understand what was making her so upset.

As much as he tried, Wyatt couldn’t see around Agent Christopher and she seemed to be purposely blocking his path to Lucy. He thought about wrestling her away to just get closer, but decided his feeling of not doing any more damage extended to his whole Bunker Family and instead looked around her to Lucy, who stayed hunched over the computer but met his smile with one of her own before ducking her head. “Thank you boys for keeping history in tact without me there,” she mumbled. “Our pleasure,” Flynn stated as he smiled at her and headed towards his room. Rufus made his way to Jiya’s side and when he attempted a hug she slapped his arms away with a nod in Wyatt’s direction. “Ok, I don’t know what is going on here,” he murmured and shook his head at Wyatt.

Suddenly unsure of everything, Wyatt decided that it was best if he head towards the kitchen and get a handle on everyone’s issues before approaching Lucy again. Agent Christopher followed him and got his attention, “Wyatt, I am sorry if that was awkward, things were different with you away. Is there anything else about the mission that we should know? I am aware things are not as easy with Lucy unable to go, but maybe one day she can get in that Lifeboat again. In the meantime, we need to find another historian so I am reaching out to see who I can recruit without too much attention.”

“I am sorry, what? You want to replace Lucy? She is everything to this team and she always keeps us heading in the right direction without causing too much damage. She was sick, a cold or something, but that’s no reason to ground her permanently.” Agent Christopher crossed her arms again and glared, “A cold? Are you kidding me Wyatt? You of all people should know how awkward and uncomfortable things are for all of us, especially Lucy. No one wants to put her through this, but as it is partially your fault, I would think you would be more understanding. You were willing to talk about this as a group before you left, did you have a change of heart?” A cold feeling washed over Wyatt, but before he could start to ask what the hell Agent Christopher was talking about, he heard Rufus yell, “WYATT, Wyatt, I need you now!” Without thinking, Wyatt ran to his friend, gun in hand and ready for whatever made Rufus this frantic.

“Rufus, what the hell?” Wyatt said as he put his gun back in the holster. He had scanned the room and saw no one but those he had left when he walked away. Flynn had also come running from the shower, towel around his neck and also ready to fight wherever needed. Agent Christopher wasn’t close behind but hadn’t been as concerned. Seeing nothing, they turned to Rufus in unison and glared. “Um, man, you, you, uh you really need to see this,” Rufus stammered as he pointed to Lucy. Lucy had remained sitting with her hand on her chest when Wyatt had run in the room, but now she was bent over, with her head between her legs. Jiya was rubbing circles on her back while Mason held her hand. 

“It’s ok Lucy, just breathe. Rufus didn’t remember,” Mason said through gritted teeth “how anxious you are when they are gone.” Wyatt finally had a clear path to Lucy and he wasn’t waiting to see her again, touch her hair, look in her eyes. He knelt in front of her and touched the back of her head gently, “Lucy, its ok. We are here, we are fine. Now what made Rufus so upset?”  
Lucy lifted her head, eyes shining with tears, “I don’t know but I panicked and couldn’t breathe. Not that I can breathe much these days anyway, everything hurts and I am sore and can’t seem to catch my breath just walking from the kitchen to the bedroom. I am sorry, I am a mess.” 

“Don’t apologize,” he said intently, “ever. Can I help you, what happened?” Jiya sucked in a breath and gave a snort. “Really Wyatt, what happened?” 

“Uh, Wyatt, why don’t you help Lucy up?” Rufus coughed as he said it. 

“Alright, but then I need to know what the hell is going on here? Flynn notices it too, don’t you?” Flynn nodded. “Why am I suddenly the villain in the bunker when we have an actual villain here!” he pointed at Flynn who looked offended, then nodded again. 

“As much as I hate it, Wyatt is right. Everyone is acting…funny,” he shrugged. At that point, Flynn walked forward to offer Lucy a hand since Wyatt had forgotten, but Wyatt gave him a look and just held out his hand as well for Lucy to grasp them both. She smiled for a moment and held tight to both of them. What should have been an easy tug was harder then Wyatt thought and that was when he looked at her, really looked at her since he arrived. Her hair was down around her face in soft waves, and she wore a light colored shirt with a large black sweater over it. The black sweater was serving its purpose well as it hid what none of the returning men had seen, Lucy’s protruding belly, clearly carrying something Wyatt wasn’t quite prepared for.

“Lucy,” he whispered. “What is going on? Are you pregnant?” And that was when the yelling began.


	3. Time to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I have always loved the desert. One sits down on a desert sand dune, sees nothing, hears nothing. Yet through the silence something throbs, and gleams..." Antoine de Saint-Exupery 
> 
> Wyatt doesn't know or remember any of this life, but he tries to understand. What would it be like to hear you were this person that made choices you never would have made?

It was almost as if he were in a dream, staring at Lucy, her staring at him and he didn’t notice what was going on around him at first. Agent Christopher, Jiya, and Mason were making angry motions with their arms and he saw Rufus try to get Jiya’s attention away from whatever she was saying to Wyatt. In hindsight, Wyatt was grateful he didn’t hear what they said because he was sure it wasn’t a glowing report about him. No one noticed Flynn until he had grabbed a nearby tool and started banging it on the desk. That drew Jiya, Mason, and Rufus’s attention as they feared he would hit one of their precious computers, leaving him with Agent Christopher and Lucy.

Agent Christopher spoke before he or Lucy had a chance and he heard her say, “Wyatt Logan, do you mean to tell me that you didn’t know Lucy was pregnant?” He shook his head, never taking his eyes of Lucy as she turned her face away, trying to hide the tears that had gathered in her eyes. “When we left, Lucy had a cold and since she wasn’t needed on this mission, she stayed back. You were not pregnant, you were just not feeling well. Lucy, I…” He trailed off. Wyatt had had a few times in his life he was truly speechless and this was now claiming the number one spot. “Can I talk to Lucy alone for a few moments.” No one moved. “Please.” 

The tone in his voice made Jiya give him one last glare, than she stalked away, Rufus trailing behind her still trying to get her to talk to him. Wyatt knew that his friend would help Jiya understand that this new timeline was not something any of them could have expected or been prepared for. Whatever Wyatt had done, he prayed Jiya would forgive him. Agent Christopher tilted her head and after a minute said, “Come on Connor, let’s grab a whiskey. I’m buying.” To which Mason began to walk to the kitchen with Agent Christopher, looking over his shoulder at Lucy gently smiling. All that was left was Flynn. When he looked at Flynn, he saw the man had no intention of leaving. “Look Logan, I care about Lucy and I am not leaving her here with you unless SHE asks me to. Something happened in this timeline to make everyone pretty much hate you almost as much as they hate me, so whatever that is, maybe I am not comfortable with you being with her. If I leave, it’s because she is asking, not you”  
Wyatt knew he was right and turned to Lucy, waiting for her decision. She was quiet before raising her head and smiling at Flynn, “Don’t worry, I can handle Wyatt, no matter what anyone thinks. Besides, no one can get too far down in the bunker, I will be alright.” The twinge of jealousy in his gut appeared and Wyatt gulped some air to push it down. Lucy and Flynn were friends, confidents, and close enough that they did care for each other. After all Wyatt had done in his timeline alone, he had no right to ask her for anything but these couple minutes to talk about what clearly was happening and hope to get some answers. As Flynn walked away, Lucy finally looked at him.

“Ok Wyatt, what is going on? Was I really not pregnant in your timeline? What could have happened to make THIS change take place?” The tone in her voice demanded answers and made his chest tighten when she said the word ‘pregnant’ in such a casual way. 

Wyatt cleared his throat over the emotion in his throat and lamely stammered, “I, I don’t know Lucy. Can you tell me though, how we got here, how this happened to help fill in some blanks?”  
“So you want me to go through this pain again, so you can understand how we got here? Is that all?”

“Lucy, whatever I have done to you, I am so sorry, but you know how timelines can change through one small thing and I can’t help or figure this out when I don’t know what ‘this’ is. I am begging you to please tell me once and I wont ask again.” 

She gave him a sad smile and said, “I almost feel bad for you, this you. Because you have missed moments that were wonderful. But I will tell you.” As she started the story, she sat down in her chair that he now noticed had a knitted blanket on the back and some cushion on the seat, clearly added to make her new place on the team behind the computer more comfortable and he was grateful for his Bunker Family again. No matter how angry they seemed to be at him, they showered Lucy with love and care and that was all that mattered. 

“We were in Hollywood and life was wonderful. Yes, Rittenhouse was still a step ahead, but we were together and I knew I loved you that night.” She paused as tears started again. Wyatt reached for her hand but she pulled her hand away and continued. “We got back and suddenly Jessica was here and you chose her. I was scared to tell you then, but that took the heart out of me. And I knew I encouraged you to stay with your wife. What kind of man would you be if you didn’t? Plus, no one here knew what had happened in Hollywood but Rufus, so it was my secret and thinking about it gave me little glimmers of happy.” Lucy smiled and as suddenly as it happened, the smile fell. 

“Until a few weeks later when I got sick one morning, then the next morning, then I felt horrible the next few days. I thought I had picked up some disease in one of our trips. Agent Christopher was the one who figured it out, brought me a test that was positive and I panicked. I tried to leave, I tried to get lost on one of our trips so that I could just stay there and be forgotten like so many other normal people from the past. Just able to escape in history,” she said as she looked wistfully at the Lifeboat. 

Wyatt couldn’t help it, he grabbed her hand and didn’t let her pull away this time and she snapped back to the present. “But you wouldn’t let me hide. You found me over and over as I snuck away trying to get on a train, or hide in some house thinking you would walk by and not know I was there.” She smiled at him then, “You always knew, it was like you had some GPS to find me. Each time you would ask me why and I would cry, and try to run again. By the way, I cry a lot now. Finally, I just told you. Standing on a street in New York in 1919, I just broke down.”

Lucy remembers that day.

It is 1919, Lucy is running from Wyatt after witnessing Pres. Wilson acknowledge the speech made by Grace Humiston, knowing history had once again been saved. His arms were around Lucy, protecting her from the crowd of protesters and policemen and she knew it was her chance. She gave a hard push and he stumbled, caught by surprise as she ducked under a policeman’s club and ran between two buildings. Wyatt groaned and ran after her. In the clothes from the early 20th century, Lucy didn’t have full mobility of her legs and couldn’t run as fast as he did, so he caught her easily. Wyatt put her hand on her shoulder and cried “Lucy, stop running! You have been trying to escape all day. You bought a ticket to San Francisco, you hide in the upstairs apartment of the suffrage gathering place, what is going on?” 

“Just LET ME GO, please Wyatt, you don’t understand. I can stay, I can join the movement, have a life here. I know what to avoid and how to make myself disappear.” 

“Lucy, what would make you think anyone like you could disappear? I know we are in a crazy situation, something no one could have predicted or planned for, but life without you wouldn’t be worth anything to me, you have to know that.” 

“Wyatt you can’t have it both ways, you chose your wife, you got everything you ever wanted, it was a miracle. And you made the right choice, as much as it hurts me, it was the right choice. Now,” she straightened and seemed to consider her words carefully, “now, I have my own miracle. You need to let me do this and leave this life. I can’t live in the past anymore and I have to find a way for us to enjoy the future.” 

She smiled as she said it, knowing the irony, but had gotten stronger with each word. Wyatt watched her, smiling, and Lucy had wished she could read his mind, just for a moment. But they were out of moments and this was her choice. She was having this baby, alone, and 1919 San Francisco seemed to be a good place to do that, even if it was a dream to start over. Part of her would be sad to start over without him, but she wasn’t lying when she said he made the right choice, it was honorable and everything he had ever wanted, she couldn’t deny him that, she loved him too much. 

When he stepped towards her, she started to step back and then he did the thing that broke her down, he held her. He didn’t kiss her, he just wrapped his arms around her and held her. In her ear, she heard, “I can’t lose you Lucy. I don’t know what to do, but I can’t lose you.” She let herself be held and started to cry the tears that hadn’t fallen since she saw the “plus” sign on the stick, she wept for herself, for her baby-their baby, and the fear of bringing it into a world of Rittenhouse goons and daily shake ups. 

Tears fell for Wyatt and the choices he would have to make and the hearts that would be broken on the way, most likely hers, but she knew he didn’t ever want to have these choices and she loved him too much to make it harder. Deciding it would be easier just to get it out, logically tell him, get a plan in place, and maybe he could visit her some day, she pulled back drawing strength from the flutter she felt where the new life was growing.

“Wyatt,” he tried to pull her close again and she held up her hand, placing it on his chest to put distance in between them. “Wyatt, please, I have to tell you. I am pregnant.” She thought for sure he would step back, that he would be scared, that he might also run, but he stayed. “What did you say?” 

“I am going to have a baby. WE, are going to have a baby,” she corrected, hearing the words out loud scared her almost as much as his silence did. 

After he said nothing, she started, “Look, I know this is scary and you are married, but this happened before Jessica came back, before any of us knew. I didn’t know. I didn’t know this would happen and I have been so worried and that’s why I think it will be better for me to, just stay here. I love this time period, not as much as the 40’s but, at least I can see the 40’s now, and maybe you could visit? I know I would have to get taken away during those few days so I am not in the same time twice, but the baby would be older and we could figure it out? Do you see why this is the only way? I mean, I am sad to leave Jiya, and Rufus, and Flynn, and Agent Christopher and Connor, but my mother, my family, no one could find me here, the baby would be safe. Do you understand, do you see?” Wyatt was staring at her the whole ramble, confusion, hurt, fear, flitted through his eyes, then they softened and he smiled briefly, before frowning.

“Lucy, safe is by me. I will keep you both safe. No, I don’t understand and I don’t see any way to be apart like that and make anything work. We will figure this out, together.” At that, he did the unexpected, he knelt before Lucy and pulled her close, his ear resting on her expanding abdomen. During the off days and weeks in the bunker, she had been careful to hide her growing body behind robes and hoodies, but now that Wyatt knew, he must have noticed how tight the clothes were on Lucy and how she kept unconsciously holding her stomach. She had always been thin, so the tiniest bit of growth and weight made her feel like she had a neon sign pointing towards her belly, that fortunately, none of the men in the bunker had noticed. Agent Christopher knew, Jiya had started to guess and ask questions, but no one else and she was grateful because it had made her escape easier. 

As Wyatt stayed there, holding her tightly, she knew she wasn’t going to escape. This wasn’t the plan but when had any of her plans worked out lately, she would have to come home.

Lucy shakes herself out of the memory.

“Lucy, where did you go?” Wyatt asked. She had gone quiet, clearly reliving some time that he didn’t know about or remember, and when she didn’t come back, he touched her leg gently. He wanted badly to touch her stomach, to feel the life there and know this was real, but something told him this wasn’t what she wanted or needed and he wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want him to do. She focused on him again and blinked, “Sorry, I was remembering the day in 1919 when I tried to run away and finally told you about the baby. You wouldn’t let me leave and almost carried me to the Lifeboat.”

“You really tried to run away and stay there? Lucy…” Wyatt couldn’t believe that she would have planned that, knowing how committed to history she was and that every move she made could do something to the future, but she was willing to risk it. He had hurt her more then he knew and his heart tightened again, the familiar grip of anxiety over having made the wrong choice, again and again. Once upon a time, Lucy had saved his job and his life by standing in front of him and telling Agent Christopher that “Wyatt makes the right choice, every time, and I trust him.” Ashamed of himself, he closed his eyes for a second, trying to get control over himself. Deep breath, Logan.

“In hindsight, I shouldn’t have told you and should have kept trying until I was free.” That snapped his eyes open. “As soon as we got back, I told everyone in one room while you went to talk to Jessica in another. Their response was amazing, I found Jiya bringing me tea and Mason offering his room so I could be more comfortable. Flynn rubbed my feet the way his wife liked while pregnant. Agent Christopher brought in healthier food and books, while Rufus learned to cook the food over the next couple weeks – which was a benefit to us all. They were so kind, I felt bad that I had planned to leave them, but it probably would have been for the best.” Wyatt cleared his throat, he knew without her saying that his response hadn’t been wonderful. 

“But then there was you.” She glared at him. “You came out of the room with Jessica holding your hand. You spoke to me privately at least, and said that Jessica told you it was ok and that she loved you and begged you to stay with her. You didn’t know what to do and needed time. You said that you cared for me, but that she was your wife and you couldn’t hurt her that way.” Wyatt’s mouth hung open, he heard Lucy say the words and yet he couldn’t believe they had ever come from him. 

They lived lives that no one could imagine, but he never would have dreamed that this would have been his response. He felt his stomach rumble and thought he might be sick, he put his head in his hands and hid his face from Lucy as his own tears started to gather. Nothing he had done so far compared to the pain that those words must have inflicted on Lucy, the woman he loved, the woman carrying his child who trusted him enough to have cancelled her escape plan to come home with him. He never deserved to have a woman like her in his life, when all he had done was hurt her over and over. Logically, he knew that that Wyatt was probably thinking he had done the right thing again, that he had gotten Jessica back and she had forgiven him so he had to do the right thing again. But what other reason could that Wyatt have thought this was fair or right or in any way acceptable to do. He scoffed to himself, when was his life ever fair? 

“So where are we now, what happened next?” He heard himself whisper.


	4. Time to Learn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You do not need to count the grains of sand or the drops of water before you can enjoy a day at the beach. You do not need to know everything before you can enjoy your life." Doe Zantamata
> 
> Wyatt is working out what happened and where he stands with Lucy and the team in this new reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and for your comments. As I said, this is my first time writing and it means a lot that people are enjoying it. I don't own Timeless or it's characters, but love them. Still fighting for a Season 3, but am grateful for all the writers who are filling in these new stories.

“Now? Well, after I told you to stay the hell away from me going forward, now, we coexist. It’s been three months. A doctor comes in to see me every couple weeks, we had to tell him about the time travel and he said no more traveling for me. Plus, it made Mason question whether the baby counts as “one” person yet and that was a whole argument itself, so Agent Christopher said no more and I’ve been assigned to desk duty for missions. I can tell you that it is worse staying here then risking my life on those missions,” she laughed and looked at him. “I didn’t realize how easy we had it with people shooting at us and danger around every corner. While the Team is gone, Jiya does some fun breathing with me and plans to be my coach when the baby is born, but I will tell you what I told her, no baby of mine will be born in this bunker, I want a FULL hospital of drugs and doctors and drugs.”

“Ours,” he said quietly.

“What?” Lucy questioned.

“The baby is ours, right?”

“To be honest Wyatt, no, it isn’t anymore. You may have helped to create it, but you haven’t talked to me about it since that day three months ago. You ask how I feel, you inquire how the baby is once in a while, but you didn’t choose us. You chose Jessica, again, and that was when I felt it stopped being ours and it became mine.” Lucy’s voice caught on the last word. She took a breath and continued. “We haven’t talked this much since 1919, so I am sorry if I am emotional. I missed talking to you. But Wyatt, Jessica is waiting for you. You know she gets angry when you talk to me, jealous even, and it makes us all so uncomfortable, please don’t make this harder and just go.” 

Wyatt looked away from her and noticed the pictures around her computer area. Shots of her and Jiya, Rufus, everyone, and a sonogram proudly displayed at the top of the screen. Lucy must have caught him looking. “That’s her, you know. I asked Agent Christopher to get me a nice frame, but the one I picked out hasn’t come in yet.”

“Her? It’s a her?” 

“Yes, no name yet, but I will figure it out. I have about 6-8 weeks if all goes well.”

“Lucy, I-“ he started.

“Wyatt look, we are good now. Like I said, we coexist and it isn’t perfect, but we manage. I don’t have you, but I have the rest of the team. I miss these missions, but maybe one day I will be able to go again, and in the meantime, I have a great mission right here.” She gestured to her stomach. “And you really aren’t on the top of anyone’s favorite person list these past months, but everyone still respects your choice and I’ve heard about the fun times you and the boys have on the missions and playing cards at night, so it’s ok.”

“But it’s not ok, Lucy," Wyatt paused, still shocked but not willing to let her think that he would walk away. "Lucy it is no ok, because I am not with you.”

“Don’t” she warned.

Wyatt exploded. “Don’t what? Tell you how I feel right now? I come back from a mission to find that everything is different. I was ready to tell you everything, and now you are having my baby and I can’t feel happy because the ‘other’ Wyatt was acting like a jackass. That wasn’t me!” He could hear his voice raising with every word, but the anger over how stupid the ‘other Wyatt’ was too much to keep quiet about any longer. “This me, this Wyatt, would never have let you go to a single doctor appointment without me. I would never let anyone else cook for you or rub your feet. I would be reading books and building cribs and baby proofing this bunker. I am scared. The idea of being a father is terrifying, but I have had about 20 minutes to come to grips with this and I can tell you that I would never, ever, let you walk away from me or do any of this without me by your side.”

“Wyatt,” Lucy started.

“No Lucy, I am done. Done with you telling me I should do what right and lock up all this…stuff…that is happening with us. I am done listening to you, I need you to hear me. We, yes WE, are doing this together. That little girl is the best thing that I could imagine happening right now. Good things don’t happen to me often Lucy. Wyatt Logan does not have any amount of luck, but right now, I am the luckiest man alive and I will not waste this.” He knelt down and took her hands, “I know I have made you promises. Look at me Lucy. Please.” When she finally looked in his eyes he continued. “I broke the promise that you wouldn’t lose me. In a way you did. But my other promises to always keep you safe I have never broken and I will not let anything happen to you or this baby. The promise to never lose me, I can’t fix that right now because I know you don’t trust me, but I have the rest of my life to prove to you that you can trust me.” Wyatt's heart ached for a moment, thinking of everything else he wanted her to know, but his gut told him that now would not be a good time. Someone behind him coughed and he turned slowly. 

Wyatt’s shouting had brought Agent Christopher and Mason running in from the kitchen, Rufus and Jiya from their room, and Flynn from the sofa. All five of them stood in a semi-circle around Wyatt’s back. He had a feeling half of them would try to kill him if they could and now that he knew why, he couldn’t blame them. But Rufus and even Flynn would help them understand, he knew that. He bowed his head and stood up, “I must be really rusty if I didn’t hear any of you coming.”

“Or you were just being a jerk again and yelling,” Jiya responded.

“Jiya, I told you that Wyatt had no idea, this is not our timeline,” Rufus started. 

Flynn joined in, “And I have been explaining to Agent Christopher and Connor the same thing. We left with Lucy having a cold and returned to her having…something else. No one could have predicted this.” Wyatt looked at Flynn in thanks, but was met with a cold glare. “However, after hearing how Lucy has been treated these past few months, I must say that Wyatt is not someone I would like to be around right now either.” Well, there went that ally.

“Lucy, are you feeling alright?” Agent Christopher asked. “Do you need to lay down at all? You are in the third trimester and stress can cause early labor. As much as I think I know, I do not know enough to deliver this baby so we need to keep you as close to your due date as possible.”

“Wait, are you sick? Is the baby ok? Is something wrong?” Wyatt’s panic kicked in, startling everyone. 

“Well, nice to see you have joined the rest of us in caring about your child Mr. Logan,” Connor stated as he crossed his arms. Ok, Wyatt thought, there are no ally’s here except Rufus. He swallowed nervously, but looked at Lucy waiting for an answer.

“I am fine Wyatt, just being cautious because we are in the middle of no-where and doctors are in short supply.”

“Then where do we need to go. Agent Christopher, we need to move her and I to somewhere that I can take care of her and there is a full medical staff nearby. What are we doing about it? Is there a plan in place, do we need more help?”

Jaws hit the floor from everyone in the room but Lucy, who laughed. She laughed so hard tears rolled down her cheeks. “Her and I? Wyatt, I appreciate you having this change of heart, but as I told you, I have it under control and there is no you and I anymore, so let me go lay down. Jiya, will you help me?” 

Jiya immediately pushed past Wyatt to help Lucy up and Wyatt was surprised at Rufus grabbing her other arm and blanket. “Uh, yeah, I’ll help too, if that’s ok, Lucy? I want to know this you and my soon to be born goddaughter.” Lucy raised her eyebrow at him. “Well I mean, who else would be able to teach her everything she needs to know about science and math and geek culture?” 

“Maybe me?” Jiya said, but smiled. 

“Sure Rufus, come on,” Lucy held out her arm and the three walked away to Lucy’s room.

“Master Sergeant Logan, might I suggest you go speak with your wife? I am not sure how much Lucy told you but history has shown the longer you wait, the worse it gets for everyone with Jessica stomping around. And while you are speaking with her, maybe discuss her stopping the ridiculous door slamming. This may be an unfortunate situation, but it is still a working environment.” With that, she sat at a computer and he considered himself dismissed. 

Wyatt walked towards the kitchen area, stopping before the big fan in the hallway to lean up against the wall and give himself a minute to think. Lucy was pregnant. Lucy, kind and beautiful in every way, had given up her mission, her life, to carry this life inside her. He wanted to know more about 1919 and how they ended up here, but no matter how, this is where he was. Wyatt closed his eyes, he was going to be a father. Fear set in - he never wanted kids, they were small and cried and could get sick. They also smiled and played tball and wore frilly dresses, a small voice in his head said. As the excitement of a baby started to replace the fear, he realized this was just another sign that he made the right choice to end things with Jessica. He hadn’t wanted kids before, but now, imagining Lucy holding a tiny thing in her arms, he never wanted anything more. Lucy taught him to be better, because he followed her lead and worked to be someone she admired or respected. He thought about his conversation with Lucy and how she could barely look at him and he knew that it would be hard, harder then telling Jessica goodbye even, but he knew what he was fighting for now. He was going to fight for Lucy, he would fight for this baby, and fight to give it a better world without the dangers they faced. With a new resolve, he pushed away from the wall. 

Time to face whatever Jessica was behind that door.


	5. Time to Face the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out; it's the grain of sand in your shoe." Robert W. Service
> 
> Wyatt finally talks to Jessica, but this isn't any Jessica he knows. She is a little out of control and he finally sees what would have made "other Wyatt" stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is fun to write. With the bad news today about the show, all of the FF writers need to create the stories we wish would have been told. Thank you for reading and please give me feedback if you have any.

He knocked gently and then opened the door. Jessica was sitting on the bed watching her iPad with headphones on, which explains how she didn’t hear the noise from his and Lucy’s discussion. He watched her and realized that the feeling of passion and love were no longer there, but he smiled as she laughed at something that happened on the screen. He loved her, he always would, but it wasn’t enough anymore. Now, he just needed to tell her.

“Hey” he tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped. “What are you watching?” Wyatt wanted to be casual as he approached her. Everyone’s comments about Jessica since he returned had put him on edge (along with everything else) and he figured that going in slowly would be best.

“Where were you, the ship landed a while ago? Wyatt, you left me in here alone while everyone else was talking about something.” So much for slowly, he thought.

“I am sorry, I had to figure out a few things with the team”

“You mean with her.” She said sharply. He didn’t answer and rubbed his face, suddenly exhausted, the high from his discussions with Lucy gone as he faced the overwhelming task ahead of him. It was time for him to let Jessica go.

“Yes, Jessica, I was with Lucy and the rest of the team. There are some things going on that I don’t always understand and I can’t always control,” he started. “You need to bear with me as we figure this out.”

“Bear with you? What do you think I have been doing sitting in this hole in the ground for the past few months? I have been patient and sat here, watching reruns on Netflix while you were off with your girlfriend chasing the bad guys. Then one day, oops, guess who I knocked up on accident? The beautiful woman you spend all your time with, not your wife, not the person you married and has been with you forever.” Her voice rose higher with almost every word and Wyatt understood why the rest of the Bunker Family was so concerned about him talking to her. She was really making things worse.

Wyatt wished that he would have had a camera to see how the conversation about Lucy’s pregnancy had gone, and he almost felt sorry for the old Wyatt. Watching Jessica’s face turn red as she started pacing, he couldn’t believe the change that had come over her. While he felt calm and in the right place in his life, for the first time in years, she was raging inside and he could see that this would only escalate. While he knew it was going to be bad, like the rest of his day, he decided just bring everything into the open.

“Jessica, it’s over.” When he said it, the relief he felt was instant. The beauty of their young love was gone and while he would always remember their good times, the Jessica before him was an example of the times that were not so good. The times that made him angry and in the original timeline, had eventually had led to her death. The epiphany he had in the club the previous mission was proven in this conversation, the Wyatt from his youth was gone, he had grown up and while he loved her, he was not in love with her any longer. Jessica’s face told him she did not feel the same way, but just like he had told Lucy so long ago, he needed to let Jessica go and let her be with who she belonged with. He felt more sure that it wasn’t him, but Jessica was going to need some convincing.

“What did you say?” She said quietly, the calm before the storm. If he would have blinked, he would have missed the glass that came flying at his head.

“Jessica, what the hell?” Throwing things was new, the old Jessica, even the old old Jessica had never been violent or thrown things. “I know this is a surprise, but is it? The reasons you loved me when we were 18, they don’t work anymore. I mean, what do you love about me? I know I brought you here, I know I convinced you to stay when you were ready to leave, and I am sorry. I thought that what we felt when we were younger could be brought back, but it can’t. I never meant for this to happen, I never wanted to hurt you like this. You are amazing and deserve to be with someone who sees that and someone who you are meant to be with, that someone just isn’t me.”

“Are you kidding me? You must be joking. I had a life while you were off playing hero. I didn’t always love my job, but I had one. I had friends, I had my family, and you took me away from all of that. You promised me, that we would have a new life together and I trusted you. You lied.”

“I know, I thought it would be different this time but it’s not.”

“And I thought you would be different, but you are still the same pathetic guy who left Texas.” Every word was shouted and punctuated with tears. Her hands were in fists at his side and he didn’t doubt she was ready to punch him, so he watched carefully as she crept closer. He could take it, he could take her anger and sadness, but a part of him worried over the rest of the team outside the door. He was sure every word was bouncing off all the tin walls and so they all knew what was happening, but he hoped when Jessica left, that they had the sense to be back in their rooms or somewhere. 

“Jessica, let’s calm down and talk about this,” Wyatt pleaded.

“Never in the history of being told to calm down has anyone ever calmed down. Now listen Wyatt, I get it, she’s desperate and you feel bad for her, I am sure when you got back, she cried and you feel guilty about her being alone, blah blah blah. But SHE is not your wife, and SHE does not know everything I know about you,” Jessica threatening him was unacceptable. She walked around their bed, kicking shoes and throwing clothes. Wyatt was shocked and horrified at this stranger in front of him. 

“You have crossed a line, Jessica. I know you and I have years of history together, but it is over. And if I had any doubts before, this conversation has made it final.” Wyatt was firm and hoped that would at least make her stop the pacing. She was acting like a caged animal and Wyatt had seen enough Animal Planet to know that when the animal gets free, all hell could break lose.

“You can’t leave me Wyatt, I know what you did in Dallas, and I will tell if you continue to talk like this. How do you think your precious Lucy would feel if she knew the kind of man you really are? I am the only good thing in your life, I am the only thing keeping you out of prison, so why don’t you go take a shower, cool off, and come back to talk to me when you are ready for forget this leaving-nonsense.” Jessica made a move towards him and leaned up as if to kiss him, but Wyatt pushed her away and backed up to the door.

“Jessica, I have no idea what you are talking about. I haven’t been to Dallas since I was in high school and when I was there, I got a package and left to go back home. If you would care to know, this whole timeline for me is different. I don’t know what is going on and I certainly never did anything in Dallas, so how about you fill me in on this horrible past I have?” The soldier in Wyatt knew he was pushing and it might not turn out the way he wanted, but he needed to know what this Wyatt had done. Also, this deflected away from Lucy and with Jessica so angry, he didn’t want Lucy caught in the crossfire.

Jessica stared at him for a minute, then a smile spread across her face. “You don’t have any idea do you? You are telling the truth.” She laughed. “Oh this will be fun, Wyatt. If you want to know what you did, then you should start to follow my directions a little better. Go take a shower and we can talk when you have made some better decisions.”

“Jessica, I don’t know what happened, but whatever it is, it wasn’t me and I will not be pushed around by you!”

“The fingers prints and photos will prove that it was you, Wyatt. So run along now, I was in the middle of a show I want to finish.”

Wyatt stood there, unable to move, not sure of what he should do next. His heart was pounding and he wondered if this is what Lucy’s panic attacks felt like. Jessica turned her back to him and put her headphones back on.

Still in shock, Wyatt slowly walked out the door and closed it behind him. When he looked up, he saw Rufus and Flynn standing there, their faces looking as shocked as he was.

“Did you guys hear that?” Wyatt muttered.

“Fortunately, not most of it, after glass crashed, Rufus left the kitchen to help. I followed, hoping to see you get your ass kicked. I am sorry Wyatt, I don’t know what to say,” Flynn shrugged.

Rufus stood there, frozen, still looking at the door. “That is the woman you loved and cried and stole the Lifeboat for? We need to talk, man.”

“No, that is NOT anyone I know. This Jessica is mean and violent and I don’t know who she is. But one thing I do know, I have to find out what happened in Dallas, stop it or something, and get her out of here. I don’t think Lucy is safe with her here and I cannot risk her or the baby.”

Both Rufus and Flynn nodded. “So what is the plan?”


	6. Time to Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand." Og Mandino
> 
> Now that Wyatt has an idea of what is happening, he counts on his team for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep writing stories, keep the spirit of this great show alive!

Soldier Wyatt kicked in as he pushed both men away from his bedroom door and down a long hallway where they could speak quietly and see who was coming. “First things first, we have to protect Lucy. Flynn, I know you don’t like me, I know that we have tried to kill each other many times over, but this is Lucy. And the baby too. I have only known I would be a father for about an hour, so it’s new to me, but I need to protect them. You have to remember what that feels like. Please help me save both of them.” Wyatt was desperate. 

Flynn stared at Wyatt for a moment and then smiled. “The first time I held my baby girl was the best moment of my life. She was tiny, but could she yell. I would give anything to hold her one more time, tell her I love her just once.” He paused, “I will help you Wyatt.” 

For the first time since they met, Wyatt extended his hand to Flynn. Flynn grabbed it and the men shook, a silent understanding and respect growing between them.

“Not to be negative, but do you really think Lucy is just going to let us hover over her or try to get her to leave? From what Jiya told me, she fought pretty hard to stay on when Agent Christopher grounded her to begin with. Which, by the way, how are you doing with this? I mean, you, a dad?”

Wyatt couldn’t have been more grateful for Rufus and his shoulders slumped in exhaustion as he thought for a moment. Hearing Rufus say it made it more real. “I don’t know yet, Rufus. I want to be happy, but Lucy is so angry with me. And she should be, but that wasn’t me. That was some other jerk who let Jessica blackmail him into staying with her and ruining everything around him. I want to just hold Lucy and,” he blushed. “It took everything in me not to feel her stomach.”

“I can tell you from experience that you NEVER do that to a pregnant woman unless she tells you it is ok. My wife would get irate when anyone would touch her, especially in the later months where she was uncomfortable enough as it is. Honestly, the more I think about this, the more fun it will be, watching you grovel your way back to her. I hope she makes this hard for you because you really deserve it.” Flynn smiled partially at his memory and partially at the idea of Wyatt begging for Lucy to forgive him. Wyatt rolled his eyes.

“For the last time, that wasn’t me, that was other-me. And I hope that once Lucy gets to know this me, the me that was leaving Jessica already, that loves her more than anything I could imagine, that she will at least give me a chance,” Wyatt prayed to himself that this was true.

“Well, I hope that she does Wyatt,” Rufus said earnestly. “I think that maybe I should start with Jiya. She if she can start to research Dallas. Any idea what you did there? When you would have been in Dallas?”

“No, in our timeline, I was running things for a guy, a bad guy. Like I said, I had some rough years before I joined the army. Once he asked me to go to Dallas and get a package from a bar, bring it back to him. So that is what I did. No one talked to me much, I didn’t ask questions. It was a really easy job, so something was different here.” 

“Well, I guess once I convince her to help us, she can start by checking the city of Dallas against your time overseas. We can assume whatever happened there would have happened before you joined the army or on leave. Wyatt, we will figure this out. You’re going to be a father, I know this sucks, but take just a minute and be happy about it.” Rufus left to find Jiya, leaving Wyatt and Flynn to continue the plan.

“Flynn, I doubt Agent Christopher would trust you enough to let you ask her about this, so I will try that route. Do you think that if I could get Jessica into the kitchen for a while, you could look around our room? I am not sure what you will find, but she must have something there that she can use against me. She is way too confident and I need to know what she has.”

As Flynn agreed to look, Wyatt took a deep breath, knowing he was about to ask Flynn for the hardest task yet. “One last thing, I need help with Lucy.” When Flynn cocked his head to the side about to decline, Wyatt knew he better continue quickly. “Look, I hate asking this, God, how I hate asking this. But until Jessica is completely out of the picture, I need you to help me make sure Lucy is kept away from her. I promised Lucy a long time ago that I would keep her safe and I will keep that promise, even if that means trusting her and the baby to you.’

“Wyatt, I couldn’t save my own family, what makes you think I could save yours?”

“Because in our timeline, Lucy trusts you and I trust her. I have only known about this for an hour, but I can understand you and what you did more than ever. If anyone touches Lucy or that baby, I will kill them, no question. I can’t imagine what you have gone through and I am sorry it took this for me to understand, but I do. Will you help me?”

“Yes, I will. I can stay close to her. But Wyatt, if Jessica comes to hurt her, what should I do?” Wyatt knew this wasn’t really a question, Flynn wouldn’t hesitate and for the first time, Wyatt didn’t want him to. Flynn was asking to make sure they were in agreement and give Wyatt the chance to stop anything before it started.

“Do what you have to, Flynn. Just do what it takes.”

Wyatt didn't even think as he said it, it just came from his gut. Her face may be the same, but this wasn't his Jessica. His Jessica was gone and while the first time he lost her and she died, it tore him apart, this time he had none of the same emotions. His life was different and instead of making it better, Jessica had slowly made it worse even if she hadn't meant to. Now in this timeline, it was clear that this Jessica was determined to use anything she could to keep Wyatt with her and Wyatt was done. He didn't wish her harm, but had no idea what she would do in the coming days and Lucy wasn't worth that risk. He looked at Flynn as if asking for permission to feel that way and Flynn sighed, seeming to understand the struggle Wyatt was feeling.

“In that case, I will sleep in the living room on the couch. Your room is closest there and I will wake up if anyone walks by. I will check on Lucy before I settle in, see whether there is a place I can put a lock on her door and make sure she has some kind of defense mechanism nearby. Wyatt," Flynn hesitated. "You are doing the right thing by leaving Jessica, I would do the same thing which is why I am willing to help figure out who and what this Jessica is. I know what it is like to be misunderstood, but don't stop trying." 

“Sounds good,” Wyatt agreed. “And…thank you.”

Flynn walked away and Wyatt sat against the wall again. He was ready to drop after a night with no sleep. The adrenaline from the revelation about the baby, then the fight with Jessica slowly faded away, but his heart skipped a beat when he thought about what Flynn said. His “family”. Lucy and this baby are his family. He smiled as he said it in his mind over and over. Yes, his Bunker Family was still there, but they would eventually leave the bunker and move into their own homes and on with their lives. Lucy and this little girl were his family too and he wanted to have them in his life forever. Wyatt knew that Lucy was angry, he knew that he didn't deserve a second chance in any timeline, but he had hope in the form of a little life growing inside her. Hope that one day, she might see him as she did before Jessica came back. He would always be a little broken, they all would be, but Lucy had helped fix some of Wyatt's broken parts and he wanted to do the same for her knowing that since her mother, family, and Wyatt had betrayed her she would also be broken. It would take a lot of time and he wished he could start working on it right away, but Jessica had to be dealt with first. 

Wyatt had never thought of himself as a good person, he knew he wasn't and he knew that only good people deserved happiness. All of his actions as a soldier and even on the time team had been motivated by fear or duty. Fear for himself, his unit, and his team. Fear of losing Rufus or Lucy. He was still scared and now the idea of losing the baby made him terrified, but he had to make the world better for the baby and make sure she never had a reason to worry and she could be happy. He couldn't fix everything with Lucy right away and might never get the chance, but they were good and he wanted them to be happy and safe. 

He got up and walked to the shower. When he stepped off that Lifeboat, he thought that Rittenhouse was the worst thing that could happen to him, but the Jessica problem had to be dealt with first. Wyatt shook his head, good thing Jessica and Emma didn't team up, he didn't know if he could fight both those battles together and didn't want to find out what kind of damage they could cause.


	7. Time for Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "In every pearl, there is an irritating grain of sand." Mr Wednesday, American Gods
> 
> They are making breakfast in the bunker and still trying to figure out where everyone stands in the new timeline. Can Wyatt be given another chance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay in new chapters, it was a holiday week and I was out of town. There has to be some light moments mixed in to even it out for Wyatt's sake.

When Wyatt left the shower, the bunker was quiet so he went to his room, hoping Jessica was asleep. She was still on the bed, so he slid under the blanket and within minutes was sleeping, the day’s events catching up with him quickly.

Wyatt woke up with Jessica curled next to him like she always had slept, on her side facing away. Her even breathing told Wyatt she was still asleep and he quietly got out of bed and left the room. Once in the hallway, he relaxed and rubbed his neck, trying to get out the aching feeling. He had slept so hard, he didn’t know what time it was, but the smell of bacon and sound of laughter coming from the kitchen told him it was around breakfast. He stopped outside the door, listening to his friends talk.

“I cook, for real, with all this stuff?” Rufus exclaimed, pointing to the array of veggies and other interesting looking foods on the counter.

“You are an amazing cook, Rufus! I am so sad you can’t remember, but lucky for you, Connor made me some bookshelves last month and I saved ALL of your cookbooks. Shall I find one for you to begin practicing?” Lucy teased.

“Do you remember when Rufus made us all the risotto with spinach and the strawberry pie for dessert? That was one of my best days ever!” Jiya sighed. “If we never eat that again, I will be so, so sad.”  
“The baby loved that one, but me not so much.” Lucy groaned as she said it. “I had nasty heartburn for days. Denise had to call the doctor to the bunker, I was so worried.” 

“So you never have left to see a doctor?” Rufus asked. “How do you do it cooped up here all the time, with only us for company?”

Wyatt leaned in, eager to hear more of Lucy’s life as it was now. 

“It’s really not so bad,” Lucy said slowly. “Jiya doesn’t leave either and we watch some movies, we started a book club, Denise is teaching us to knit, but I am horrible at it. And when you guys are gone, I worry so badly, I wouldn’t be able to walk away from my desk, I am so scared just waiting for you to return. I’ve been trying to take notes as fast as I can before you leave and put them in the Lifeboat, so when you return, I can see what has changed. It sounds boring, but my life here is pretty decent. You make me food, Flynn and Connor help me stand up now that I have a harder time doing anything, Jiya helps with my laundry, and Denise tells me about motherhood and how wonderful it will be.”

“And Wyatt isn’t around at all?” Rufus questioned.

“Rufus!” 

“No, Jiya, it is fine. They have to know so we can just keep moving forward, right?” Jiya reluctantly nodded. “Wyatt is here, he is always here. But he just closed himself off the day we got back from New York. In the beginning, I missed him so much. I have since Jessica came back, but at least before New York he still acted like he cared. Then it just stopped. I am sad that he missed the first ultrasound and the first kick. I went running to his room to tell him and Jessica opened the door, yelling at me to stay away. I don’t know how the man I loved so much could just miss all that, but he has and I am respecting his choice. I can tell you that I have caught him at my desk in the hangar, starting at the screen and holding the sonogram picture. But if he doesn’t want to open up to me, or you or anyone, then I have to let him be. And besides, soon the baby will be here and everything will be different, so each day I just appreciate the quiet and try to get ready to do this alone.”

“Um, excuse me?” Jiya retorted.

“Sorry, I am not alone because I always have Jiya!” Lucy hugged her friend and Jiya laughed.

Outside the door, Wyatt bowed his head. He had missed so much and hurt her so badly with no explanation. He guessed from her answer that Lucy had no idea about whatever supposedly happened in Dallas and he wasn’t sure if he should be grateful that she didn’t have more reason not to trust him or if he should be sad she doesn’t know because at least that would be an explanation.

“Alright Rufus, pull me up! I need to use the restroom,” Lucy said.

“But, you just went like 5 minutes ago,” Rufus grunted as he pulled Lucy standing.

“Welcome to pregnancy life, Rufus. It’s only going to get worse from here,” Lucy stated gleefully.

Wyatt moved away from the door frame, trying to look like he hadn’t been eavesdropping when Lucy walked out.

“Wyatt, hi,” she said.

“Lucy,” he smiled. She looked at him blankly, clearly not sure how to respond. “Uh, can I walk you to the bathroom, do you need anything?” He asked lamely.

“No and no,” she laughed. “I’ve got it covered and I know the way.”

“Please Lucy, just tell me if there is anything I can do, anything I can bring you or help you with. I, uh, I don’t want to not be here for you.”

“Wyatt, I am just going to the bathroom. Rufus doesn’t remember how to cook most foods, but he at least got bacon started so I will be right back because I am starving.”

Wyatt moved to let her pass and walked into the kitchen, catching Rufus and Jiya mid-kiss. “Sorry guys.” He apologized and looked around the room to find something else to focus on. “Oh, can I help with breakfast? I can cook pretty well.”

“You are offering to help and you can cook? This is some weird Twilight Zone crap going on. BUT, if what Rufus says is true,” she started.

“It is,” Rufus interjected.

“If what Rufus says is true, then you weren’t half the jerk in your timeline as you have been in ours and I need to help you. So I will, because life will be better for everyone if a certain someone is gone, but I have conditions, Wyatt.”

“Whatever they are, yes,” Wyatt jumped in.

“You might want to hear them first,” Jiya chided. “First, we bring in the whole team. Agent Christopher, Connor, and Lucy need to be told everything you know, or don’t know, but everything. Secrets will only wear us down and we need all of the minds in this bunker on this.”

“Done,” Wyatt agreed. He had planned to tell Agent Christopher anyway and Jiya was right that Lucy and Connor were two of the smartest people he knew. “But, Lucy cannot be in danger…ever.”

“Of course!” Jiya exclaimed. “Don’t forget Wyatt, we have been looking after her longer then you have and know how to keep her safe.” 

“Jiya, I know that comment was probably meant to hurt me, but I am grateful for you and the Team for watching her. One day, we can sit and talk about it, but you should know that I will not leave her alone like that again.”

“We will see,” Jiya said. “Next, you have to stop Jessica from interfering with the missions, research, and basically everything in the bunker. She tries to help and only messes up everything. One time you almost didn’t make it home because she accidentally sat on a keyboard and messed up the configurations for the homing device. I don’t know how or what you will tell her, but keep her away from the hangar. Then, you need to come clean to her and either leave her or leave us. We can’t all walk on eggshells any longer, so you need to make a choice for good.”

Wyatt’s choice was already made, but he agreed, knowing now wasn’t the time to go into that.

“And last, this might be the hardest one, you have to put together the crib,” Jiya’s eyes got wide. “It’s in a box in Lucy’s room and has about a million parts that are all vital to it not falling apart. Connor said he and Rufus could do it, Flynn offered as well. But I think you should be the one to do put it together. If you want to be a dad, that’s a dad thing to do. I think it would mean a lot to Lucy too. She might say no and I might hate it, but she does need you to be present. Just try and keep trying.”

“Yes, a thousand times, yes,” Wyatt agreed. He had a lot of planning out to do and now that he would have Jiya's help, he was eager to start, but Lucy had walked back through the door and she looked hungry. “So, how do omelets with green pepper and mushroom sound?”


	8. Time to Come Clean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wyatt is working to figure out the Jessica issue while regaining the trust of his team. It will take time, but he knows what he wants and is ready to work for it.

Once Lucy and the rest of the team had eaten, Rufus and Jiya drifted off to the hangar to work out some details for a new modification of the Lifeboat. Wyatt tried to understand what they were discussing, but the science went way over his head and he figured it was best left to the experts. Rufus told Wyatt they would also talk about some “other” details and to come see him soon so they could discuss it together.

Lucy sat finishing her tea, flipping through a magazine, so Wyatt grabbed another cup of coffee and sat at the table with her.

“Lucy,” he started. “How are you feeling today? How is the baby, growing? Is that the right way to ask? I, uh, I don’t know how to talk about this.”

Lucy chuckled. “I am fine, Wyatt. The baby is growing and is healthy according to the doctor. She is the right size and all of the tests come back perfect.” Lucy sucked in a breath. “And she must have liked your cooking because it sure woke her up!” 

“She is kicking?” Wyatt whispered as he watched her rub her stomach. “If you say no, I understand, but can I feel it?” 

Lucy studied him, not sure what to do. Wyatt knew he must look desperate, but he was; knowing and feeling this was real was all he could think of. She finally nodded and guided his hand to a spot at the side of her stomach, she put her hand on top of his and gently held his him in place. He thought that it would be light, like a flutter, but he felt the kick hard against his palm. He gasped, “That, that was her? This is amazing, I can’t…I can’t believe it.”

“You sure would believe it if it happened all day, every day. She is exhausting with her kicking and turning all hours of the night. At least when she arrives, Jiya has offered to do some of the night time duty and let me get some sleep.”

Wyatt held his hand tightly to her side the baby kicked him again. He could have laughed or cried, but he didn’t move – afraid that the movement would stop and he didn’t want it to. “Lucy, I don’t know what to say or how to put into words what I am feeling, but I want you to know that you are wonderful and thank you.” Lucy’s face softened and she smiled at him, hesitantly touching his cheek like she used to. Wyatt closed his eyes and leaned into her hand. He sighed happily, ready to never move again, when someone coughed. He really was losing his touch that so many people could walk up on him without him noticing.

“You will want to wrap this up, someone is coming down the hall and walking very quickly,” Flynn quietly said. “Lucy, might I escort you to the hangar so you can tell me more about the book I heard you mention that you are writing.” Wyatt didn’t know that piece of information and filed it away to ask Lucy about another time.

Lucy pulled her hand back from Wyatt’s face, looked quickly at the door, and pushed Wyatt’s hand away from her belly all in one move. “Thank you, Flynn, I would love to.” She smiled at Wyatt briefly before allowing Flynn to help her stand and walking with him out the door. 

Wyatt sat alone at the table, dreading the footsteps that were getting louder.

“Here you are, honey!” Jessica’s voice exploded into the room and she walked to Wyatt, hugging him from behind. “I hope a good night’s sleep helped shake off some of the – problems – you were having yesterday?” Wyatt nodded. “Good, I am glad. Now, what is the plan for today? Movie marathon and laundry?”

“I was thinking of working on the computer for a bit, maybe I could set my laptop up in here and do some research.”

“Research? That’s not really your area is it?”

“No, but I am hoping if I learn a little more, we can get ahead of Emma eventually,” Wyatt knew it was a horrible excuse and just hoped Jessica would believe him.

“Ok, well I was planning to spend the day with you, but I guess I can do a Bunker Spa Day Special.”

“That sounds nice, I think you should do that.” Wyatt tried his best to smile at her.

“Wyatt, don’t look so sad. Things will go back to normal soon, we just had a fight. And maybe Agent Christopher will let us out of here to go on a date some night. Just the two of us, like we used to be. You would like that, right?” For a moment, Wyatt saw the old Jess and it made him sad to think that she was gone. Then he saw what looked like a scar by her ear that he knew wasn’t there when she died in his original timeline and didn’t remember it in the updated timeline either. 

“Hey, where did you get that scar from again? I am sorry, sometimes timeline things are weird.”

“Oh, well, that scar came from the time when I slipped and fell at volleyball camp years ago.” She looked him directly in the eye, as if waiting for his response.

“Huh, I guess I forgot.” In his timeline Jessica was great at soccer and running, but anything involving upper body coordination was not her strong suit. All the changes were making Wyatt start to question his sanity, but he knew something was off and he needed time away from Jessica to figure it out. “So, I am just going to grab my laptop and get started. I think I left it in the hangar, are you good with breakfast?”

“Sure, I’ll just have some cereal since all the good stuff seems to be gone.” She pouted and Wyatt smiled apologetically as he walked down the hallway.

Once he got there, he saw Rufus, Jiya, and Flynn with their heads together. They all jumped when he walked up and Jiya put her hand over her heart as she gasped. “Dammit Wyatt, you scared us.” 

“I am sorry, I didn’t mean to,” he said. “I told Jessica I was going to get my laptop and do some research in the kitchen, but I feel like I missed something in here.”

“I just was finishing explaining the whole story, with Flynn’s help, to Jiya. We are trying to be quiet about it, but everyone is a little on edge. Maybe it is time to come up with a code name,” Rufus said.

Flynn scoffed and told Wyatt that they had been discussing their old timeline with Jiya so that she understood some of the things that would be different or the same.

“That is great, thank you guys. Jessica decided to do a Bunker Spa Day today, so this might be a good chance to look through our room,” Wyatt told the group. Immediately, Jiya groaned. “What did I say?”

“Spa days are the worst. She takes up all the hot water, leaves cotton balls soaked in nail polish remover all over the bathroom, and basically prevents anyone from using the main restroom all day,” Jiya complained.

“I am sorry,” Wyatt said, “But, I think it’s good that she is busy, it will give us time to work.”

“We’ve got you covered Wyatt, I am going to check time jumps to see if there is any chance something happened to you that is related to time travel while Jiya researches everything about Dallas and how it could have interacted with your timeline. Flynn can search your room while we watch Lucy.” Rufus stated, not realizing Lucy had walked in the room.

“Who is watching Lucy and why does Lucy need watched again?” She demanded. 

“Wyatt, we need to tell her now, she knows more about history and might be able to help us piece this together. Tell her.” Rufus said gently.

Wyatt looked at Lucy who was staring back at him, unsure of what was about to happen. He sighed, ‘”Lucy, this is hard to explain and you already know some of it, but there is a lot more. As you know, originally Jessica died and then suddenly she came back. We all knew something had happened in the past to bring her back, just like something happened in the past to take your sister away. Things haven’t been great, but that’s probably not a time to talk about it.” At that, everyone in the room nodded, so he moved on. “Well, in our timeline, you had a cold and stayed behind since we didn’t need you for the trip, then we came back and you were suddenly pregnant. But you know all that, I guess it was pretty obvious when we got off the ship. Anyway, when I went to see Jessica she lost her mind. She threw things at me which she had never done before and then told me I had to stay with her or else I would go to prison because of something to do with Dallas, Texas.” 

“What happened in Dallas?” Lucy immediately asked. 

“We are hoping you can help us find out,” Rufus said. “Wyatt says he never really went there in our timeline, so something in this timeline is different and he has no idea what it is. Knowing this piece of Wyatt’s past could help us all.”

“Yeah, so we can finally get Jessica out of here,” Jiya vented.

“Jiya,” Rufus said shocked. “You know it is more than that, because IF it is related to time travel, it opens up big questions. Did someone really young learn to fly the ship or did Rittenhouse figure out a way to go back to a timeline they existed in? If they did that, there is nothing to stop them from hurting any one of us to get us out of the picture. Also, if something happened in Wyatt’s past that is linked to time travel, that means Rittenhouse could have been meddling in his life for a long time. Now if this is all just Wyatt being a stupid kid, well there isn’t anything we can help with there.”

“Thanks, Rufus,” Wyatt grimaced. “And I was a stupid kid, but I wasn’t evil or anything. I did dumb things that got me in trouble, but never really hurt anyone, which is why whatever Jessica has on me is a total mystery.” 

“Wyatt,” Lucy asked. “Do you think this Dallas business is what happened after New York?”

“Honestly, I don’t know, but if this me and that other Wyatt have anything in common, it must have been part of it because I cannot imagine what else would have made him walk away from you.”  
Lucy gave a tentative smile.

“We don’t have much time folks. Is there any chance the other Wyatt talked to anyone but Jessica about this? Someone needs to ask Agent Christopher and Mason to see if they noticed anything. The more heads on this the better since Rufus and I are as lost as Wyatt.” Flynn stated.

“Wyatt acts the way he always has, but he has been in the hangar a lot more the past few months. Mostly looking on the computer’s and being an annoyance. No offense,” Jiya apologized.

“Why would I look at the computer’s here if I have my own laptop and iPad?” Wyatt commented.

“Maybe you were looking for something and didn’t want anyone to know,” Lucy guessed. 

“I don’t know if that sounds like me, but this other Wyatt is a total stranger, so it could be. Jiya, can you trace the traffic on these and see what other Wyatt might have been looking for? Maybe Mason could help.”

“No problem.” Wyatt gave her a grateful smile, hoping that she might one day be his friend again.

“Rufus, you search for time jumps or anything within our lives now that could be linked to Jessica or I. We all know that something happened in Jessica's timeline that kept her alive and it has to do with Rittenhouse. They must have brought her back for a reason, we need to find out why. Lucy, you start on Dallas. Anything related to Dallas and cross that with my service record, hopefully Agent Christopher can give you access for specific dates and locations, otherwise I will try to get them to you. Someone will need to talk to Agent Christopher and see if she can have a team search mine and Jessica’s old apartment for any kind of clues. Last, Flynn, let’s get into my room and start to look around. Jessica has to have some evidence somewhere here and I want it.” Everyone agreed to their assignments and got to work at their desks.

Wyatt and Flynn walked out the door towards Wyatt’s room. On the way, they stopped by the bathroom to make sure Jessica was there and heard her humming a song through the door, her voice cracking on every note making Wyatt and Flynn cringe.  
“Who knew she would have such a lovely voice. You might want to rethink all this and just ride off into the sunset with her,” Flynn commented.

“Save it Flynn, there is no chance of that ever again. We need to figure this out so I can get on with my life and protect my family.” The word "family" was out of his mouth before he knew it and Flynn smiled wide.

“You know Logan, I don’t like you and I wouldn’t be sad if you would have died one of the many times I tried to kill you. But, if you have to be alive and around me at all, I will hope things all work out for you. A man needs to be there for his child to fight their monsters for them. Until Rittenhouse is gone, there will be more monsters then any of us can handle alone and this team might just have a chance to take them down.”

“I almost forgot about them,” Wyatt sighed. “I feel like Jessica has been such a distraction and now instead of just Rittenhouse to deal with, we have Jessica too. I just hope Emma stays in the present for a while because I do not want to leave Lucy here.”  
Flynn agreed and they started a search of the room; Wyatt looking in drawers while Flynn searched the less obvious spots, both unable to find anything. Wyatt was getting discouraged until he saw a piece of paper poking out from a book that was pushed into the back of a shelf. The Jessica from any timeline hadn’t been a reader, so he wasn’t sure how the book ended up on a shelf in his room. He pulled the paper out of the book and saw a series of numbers in rows. Knowing their time was limited, he took a picture of the paper and put it back where he found it. 

“Flynn, let’s go,” he said. “I think I found something.”

They quickly exited the room and made it to the kitchen, Wyatt turning on his laptop and Flynn grabbing the remote, before Jessica strolled through. Her hair was up and she had something shiny on her face. “How is my boy doing?”

“Fine, just fine. Still busy, but fine,” Wyatt smiled. 

“Ok, I’m just grabbing a snack and heading back,” Jessica said as she got a bag of chips from a shelf. “I am so sick of all this healthy food. Just because one person needs to eat better, doesn’t mean we all should suffer. Like the world revolves around the princess.” 

Flynn turned his head to give Wyatt a head shake, eyes wide, and Wyatt made a noise in agreement. Jessica thought it was aimed at her comment and satisfied with his response, she walked back out of the kitchen.

“Alright Logan, what did you find?”


	9. Time to Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In 24 hours, Wyatt's life has turned upside down and it will be a slow process to make the team trust him again. Every moment is like living on eggshells and each team member is starting to turn that around.

“I took a picture, but it was a piece of paper with a series of numbers. Let’s go show the team.”

When they got to the hangar, Agent Christopher and Connor were both hunched over desks, all 5 of them clicking away and Wyatt saw each was looking at different screens as they dissected the problem of Jessica.

“I think I found something,” Wyatt said and all five heads popped up. He walked to Lucy’s chair and took out his phone to show the team. “It is a series of numbers and at first I thought longitude and latitude, but there are too many numbers for it to be a location. It’s clearly a code, but I don’t know what it is just yet.”

“Wyatt, let me see your phone, I can enter this into the computer and see what happens.” Jiya connected Wyatt’s phone to the computer and opened the photo, then sent to the others so they could see it on their own devices. “This is really random, but between all of us we can do it.” Everyone got quiet as they searched for a key to the code.

“MS Logan, can I talk to you for a moment,” Agent Christopher said as she walked out into the hallway. “Wyatt, I want to apologize for being a little protective of Lucy yesterday. As soon as you got off the Lifeboat, I should have known something was different, but after the past few months who could blame any of us. That aside, I want you to know that we will help you with the Jessica problem, I will send a couple of my agents to look over your apartment and let you know what they find. But Wyatt, our first mission is still Rittenhouse. If this starts to interfere with the work we are doing, I will have all of the team pull back to refocus.”

“I understand. Jessica might be a little out of control, but Rittenhouse is a danger to everyone. I just hope that we can get her figured out soon.”

“We all do. Now, I am going to leave and go to my office. I might be able to pull in some additional resources there. You keep an eye on Lucy and the team. I don’t like knowing Jessica is such a loose cannon, but I trust you to watch everyone.”

“Thank you again, I know that rebuilding the trust of the team is going to take time, but please know that is what I want to do. You all saved me and I need to return the favor.” With that, Agent Christopher smiled and walked to the exit. As Wyatt started back to the hangar, he heard a sharp voice.

“What’s going on here?” Jessica demanded. “Secret hallway meetings?”

“Just work stuff, trying to make sure we keep Flynn on a tight leash.” Wyatt was ashamed that he was getting better at lying to her. 

“How about we go watch a movie? I am so bored.”

“I am not sure I have time right now, but you could read? I can always see if someone has a good book for you.”

“For real, Wyatt. You know how much I hate reading.”

“Huh, well why don’t you start a movie and I will join you in a little while?” Wyatt wondered why someone who hates reading has a book on her shelf.

“Sounds good, but don’t take too long,” she smiled and leaned to kiss him. Without thinking Wyatt turned so she planted a kiss on his cheek instead of his lips.

“I am catching a cold,” he covered. “Don’t want you to get sick.” Jessica just glared and walked away, slamming the door on her way into the kitchen.

“That was close,” Rufus said from the hangar. Wyatt nodded and Rufus put a hand on his shoulder. “Look, Wyatt, you are my best friend, my brother. I am going to help you work this out, I promise to do whatever I can. I am trying to be James Bond right now and stay low key with the rest of the team. I figure if I only talk about how great you are, they will know I am lying.” He snickered. “But, I know you are a good man, and even if Lucy isn’t sure right now, she needs you. I love her too and I want her happy and safe, but Wyatt this whole baby thing is scaring me. What if we can’t keep Rittenhouse away from the baby, I mean, do they know? Why hasn’t Carol come to get her yet? How can we stop them now when we haven’t been able to stop them so far? What if it gets worse? Can you see I am panicking?” Rufus stopped rambling and took a shuddering breath. “Sorry, I’ve been keeping that in since we landed.”

“Rufus, I get it. Jessica blindsided me so badly I have barely had time to think about Rittenhouse. When Agent Christopher mentioned them it all just hit me. Not only do we have to keep Jessica away, but we have to stop Rittenhouse and Carol.”

“The evil Grandma,” Rufus laughed.

“Not funny at all!” Wyatt laughed. He was so grateful to Rufus, he clapped him on the shoulder.

“I know, man, I know,” Rufus said. “Let's get back to the room before psycho Jessica comes to get you.” 

When they went into the room, everyone was still working on the code. No one had found anything outstanding in Dallas since Wyatt was born, they cross checked all the murders, drug deals, and major disasters against Wyatt’s service record and there wasn’t anything that had happened during that time. From the way it looked in this timeline, which Wyatt agreed matched his original timeline, he hadn’t been to Texas since he joined the service. 

“Joining the service changed my life, and unless the US Army changed drastically, they don’t just let you leave for no reason, so we can at least cross out the dates after I entered. So whatever I did, has to be sometime between when I was born to my joining.” Back to their screens everyone went, continuing to take turns from checking history to checking code breaking theories. Rufus was still working on tracing the IP traffic from each of the computers to see what old Wyatt might have been doing when he was at the computers alone. 

By dinner, no one had any answers and they were getting frustrated. Wyatt looked at his watch and realized he hadn’t gone to meet Jessica like he said he would and there would probably be hell to pay. As he walked into the kitchen, he saw her sitting at a table, not eating or drinking, just staring into space with her leg bouncing.

“Hey Jess, sorry it took a while, you ok?” 

“Let’s see Wyatt. I’ve been sitting here for hours, do you think I should be ok?” Jessica asked calmly. She started to stand and Wyatt braced himself.

At that moment, Agent Christopher walked in. “I have a surprise for you, Wyatt.” She looked from Wyatt to Jessica, noticing the tense look on both their faces. “Is there a problem?”

“No, Agent Christopher,” he said weakly. “What is the surprise?”

“I am letting the two of you out for the night. I have decided to give each of you a night here or there where you can go to a movie or dinner. Not all night, just enough to get fresh air. Since you are the married ones, I wanted to start with you.” Wyatt felt sick to his stomach, but faked a smile. Jessica ran to him and gave him a hug, the tense moment forgotten. “Wyatt, let’s get ready, where are we going to go?” 

“Not sure, why don’t you go get ready. Can I talk to you a minute, Agent Christopher?” Jessica ran off to their room. “I appreciate this, but what the hell? I thought you didn’t want us leaving at all!” 

“I don’t, Logan, but I also know we can’t freely talk about this or come up with a plan if all we are doing is whispering in corners. We need time to talk and this was the easiest way to get her out of here. I know you can take care of yourself and I honestly don’t plan on letting any of the rest of the team leave, i can't risk them getting hurt.” She let the rest go without saying, Jessica was more expendable then anyone else.

“I understand,” Wyatt agreed. “But, can you please let me know what everyone decides? I trust you, all of you, and I need to know what the plan is. And, can you make sure Lucy is ok while I am gone?”

“Naturally, I've always got eyes on everyone. Just go get ready. Go to dinner, go see a movie, I don’t care, but only take until about 10pm. Anything after that and I will send someone to find you,” she smiled, but Wyatt knew she wasn’t joking.

Wyatt nodded and left to get changed into something more presentable for a night out. He tried to look at it like a mission, a hard mission, where he had to act the doting husband. His breath caught as he remembered the night in Arkansas when he and Lucy played husband and wife with Bonnie and Clyde; their first kiss and the night that changed his life. Being fake married to Lucy had been so easy, being really married to Jessica had become much harder. He slowed his steps, making the walk take longer, and thought how much had changed in the last 24 hours. Wyatt knew he was miserable before the last mission, then opening the door to the Lifeboat and finding his whole life upside down was eye opening and reminded him how fast life can change for the Time Team. He didn’t want to waste any more time with Jessica and he prayed in a few days, he wouldn’t have to any longer. 

He opened the door to their room as Jessica quickly put her phone in her pocket. “How long until you are ready?” She asked brightly.

“Who were you talking to?” Wyatt questioned.

“Just a friend from my old job, I thought maybe we might see her at the bar. We could head there after dinner?” Wyatt realized he didn’t even care who she was talking to and nodded. “Ok get ready and let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized there isn't much about Lucy in this chapter, but this is really Wyatt's story. It is taking time, but you can see each team member start to talk to and trust Wyatt again. I've been inserting clues into Wyatt's observations, too bad he hasn't noticed yet! ;)


	10. Time to React

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As uneventful as dinner it, the night isn't over. Wyatt's fears start coming true back at the bunker.

At 10:30, their footsteps echoed down an eerily silent hallway. 

The night had been mostly uneventful with dinner and drinks afterwards. They went to the bar Jessica used to work at and she was able to see some of the bartenders and servers that were her friends before she joined life in the bunker. Wyatt smiled and shook hands when he had to, just glad that Jessica’s focus was off of him, all the time wondering what was happening in the bunker. Throughout any timeline, he always was worried what was happening to Lucy and Rufus when he wasn’t there - fearing they wouldn't be able to take care of themselves without him. They had proven him wrong a couple times, but he still worried over their safety. Once the baby came, he wanted Lucy to learn some fighting techniques to give her some defense if she came across Emma. Rufus had been doing much better, but he hoped that he would also learn some defensive moves and maybe even how to shoot a modern gun. Knowing Rufus, he would balk at it, but Wyatt knew that with the baby coming, it was time to take their defense up a notch. If he couldn’t be there, having Rufus and Flynn around to defend Lucy and the baby was going to be vital. 

The Dallas issue worried him. It was more than a jealous and insecure woman, this was blackmail and from what Jessica said, could put him in prison. As much as the team researched, he didn’t know what it could be, but the sooner they figured it out the better. From what Lucy said, the baby was coming within a couple months and he wanted Jessica gone to give him time to focus on eliminating Rittenhouse before the baby was here. Whatever he did must have been horrible and the not knowing was making him jumpy, but he trusted his team to help him and knew they would do what it took to keep him out of jail, no matter how angry they had been with the old Wyatt.

At 9:30, he had texted Rufus to see how things were going and got no response, so he told Jessica it was time to go. She laughed and kept drinking her drink and checking her phone.  
“I’m still waiting to see if my friend can make it,” she explained. 

At 9:45, Wyatt was getting impatient. Agent Christopher said 10 and he didn’t want to make a scene if she made good on her comment about coming to get them, plus he still hadn’t heard from Rufus and was getting worried. It was 10pm when Jessica said she needed the bathroom and he swore he saw a flash of red hair following her. Wyatt knocked over the chair as he ran after Jessica, losing her in the crowd as he searched for Emma. A minute later as he stood pacing on the dance floor, she tapped his shoulder and told him they could leave, laughing and telling him he was crazy when he said he thought he saw Emma there. Wyatt couldn’t stop looking around, wondering again if he was losing his mind, but his anxiety was growing and he needed to make sure his team was ok. Something wasn’t feeling right.

On the way back to the bunker, Jessica was quiet and Wyatt tried to keep his focus on the traffic and watch for anything out of the ordinary. They parked the car around the back of the bunker to leave it where they had gotten it, keys in the ignition, knowing an agent would get it soon. No one greeted, them, but there hadn’t been a guard in place since they came back from Hollywood and Wyatt was no longer a flight risk. Agent Christopher knew that Wyatt, Flynn, and the bunker security could protect them as well as an agent at the door could, but the creaking sound of the door made the hair on Wyatt’s neck stand up. 

There was no sound when he stepped through the door frame. He had used the key to get in, but there should have been a beeping to alert the bunker that someone was coming. Out of habit, he had worn his gun to dinner and he quickly took it out of the holster, holding it up as he tried to see in the dark hall.

“Jessica, stay back,” he cautioned.

“Wyatt, is something wrong?” She asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m not taking chances.”

They walked through the hallway into the kitchen, not seeing anything out of place, Wyatt continued onto the hallway leading to the hangar. When he approached his blood ran cold as the scene was out of his worst nightmares.

Lucy sat tied in a chair, gag in her mouth and a note taped to her stomach that said, “SURPRISE! See you in a couple months”. Around her, the team lay in unmoving piles on the ground. Wyatt saw a puddle of blood coming from behind Agent Christopher’s and feared the worst.

“Lucy,” he strangled out as he saw the tears slipping from her terrified eyes. As fast as he could, he removed the gag and untied her hands.

“Wyatt, I don’t know what happened. I was coming from the bathroom and someone hit my head, when I woke up, everyone was like this and I have been waiting but no one has moved. Oh god, Agent Christopher is losing blood so fast,” she cried and Wyatt reached his arms around her for a quick hug, knowing she needed more but the rest of the team didn’t have time. 

First he checked Flynn, knowing if anyone was still in the bunker, Flynn was his best chance for help. “Flynn, wake up, come on dude, you’ve got to wake up,” he had a bump on his head and bruises on his face, but no blood that Wyatt could see. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lucy on the ground near Rufus, trying the same thing.

Flynn groaned, than sat up quickly as his eyes opened. “Logan, thank god. Where is Lucy?” 

“She’s here, she seems ok, but the rest of the team needs help. What the hell happened?” Wyatt ran to Agent Christopher and felt for a pulse. It was weak, but there and he let out a breath. She may be tough, but Agent Christopher was the leader of this team and the head of this family, he couldn’t imagine losing her. 

“Wyatt, Rufus is waking up. Flynn, can you wake up Jiya?” Lucy shouted as she held Rufus’s head in her lap, talking more softly to him as he slowly came around. Flynn talked as he shook Jiya, patting her face and opening her eye lids one at a time.

“After you left, we ate dinner then we were all in the busy working and distracted, which I guess made it easy for Emma and her thugs to show up. I had gotten up to see if Lucy needed help and heard noise, but by the time I got in the room Jiya, Rufus, and Connor were on the floor. It looks like they crept up from behind. Since no one here will let me have a gun, the best I could do was hit back, so I tried, but it was five to one until Denise came in. She shot one of the men, but Emma shot her in the back before she could help anymore. Emma laughed and said that they got what they came for. She had two more men drag Lucy to the chair and tie her up. She commented about the surprise of Lucy being pregnant and how Carol would be happy to hear about it, then taped something to her stomach. That was when I got hit and blacked out.” Flynn looked away for a minute. “Wyatt, I am sorry, I tried.”

“Flynn, this isn’t on you, this is my fault. I never should have left you guys alone, not even for a few hours. Right now, we have to get Denise to a hospital. Lucy, how is Rufus?” Wyatt felt sick again as he made a tourniquet out of his shirt to stop the bleeding from Agent Christopher’s shoulder. He didn’t want to wait for an ambulance due to time and he didn’t want to compromise their location any more than it already was. Soldier Wyatt kicked in and he barked. “Flynn, let’s get Agent Christopher into the car out back. Lucy, you come too because you need a doctor to check the baby. Rufus are you with me?” Rufus nodded dazed, he was crawling to a groggy Jiya. “Can you stay here with Flynn and get Mason woken up? I know everyone needs a doctor, so try and find out who has been seeing Lucy and get them here, otherwise, I will see what we can find in her cell phone to get some discrete assistance. The priority is to get Agent Christopher to stop bleeding, this is a lot of blood and we don’t have time to get everyone there. Lucy, you ready?”

Lucy stood up and grabbed Agent Christopher’s cell phone from the desk. “I can use this to call Michelle and maybe figure out who else we can call for help. Can you and Flynn carry her?”

“Wait,” Jessica had been standing by the door watching the whole scene, never moving to help, just watching everyone else scramble. “Why does she get to go?”

“I don’t have time for this or you right now,” Wyatt bit back at her. “She is pregnant and got hit in the head, most likely falling. Sorry, but that takes precedent over your petty jealousy. Deal with it, Jessica and get the hell out of my way.” With that, Wyatt and Flynn picked up Denise with Lucy walking quickly behind, in a rush to get out the door.

As they ran, Wyatt told Flynn to stay close to Rufus, Mason, and Jiya. He also told him that the door alarm was off and to reset it as soon as they left. 

“Wyatt,” Flynn said as they placed Agent Christopher in the back of the car. “Emma was there for a purpose. She knew where we were and she could have killed us all, but she didn’t. She came tonight for a reason and got whatever it was she wanted. We have to know what she found.”

They heard a murmur from Agent Christopher and leaned in. “Denise, what did you say?” Wyatt whispered to her.

“I always have eyes on you,” she muttered and then drifted off again. Wyatt looked at Flynn and Lucy who shrugged. 

“Wyatt, she needs help, we have to go,” Lucy said urgently.

“Flynn, take anyone’s phone so you can text or call me with information. Go in my room and behind the wall by the door, there is a flap that is broken. I nailed the tin back in place after I put a gun in there when we first got to the bunker. Look around and see if you can figure out what Emma took. We will be back as soon as we can.” Wyatt was grateful that instead of questioning him, Flynn agreed and headed back in the door. He strapped himself in the seat and took off. 

Lucy cried silently beside him and he reached his hand to her. “Wyatt, what if she doesn’t make it? Denise has been like a second mother to me and I can’t lose her.”

“She will be ok, Lucy. I have seen a lot worse and Agent Christopher is one of the toughest people I know, she will come through this.” Lucy’s tears continued to slide down her cheeks. “Babydoll-face,” he said, “how are you? Did they hurt you at all?” 

She shook her head. “No, my head hurts a little and I think I might have fallen on my side because that is sore. Not baby sore, but my leg.” She corrected herself quickly when his hand squeezed hers tightly. “The baby is fine, I can feel her moving now. Probably scared after all that, just like I am, but she is tough too.”

“Of course she is, look at her mom,” Wyatt whispered. Lucy smiled at him and guided his hand to her belly again. He let the feeling of movement act as an anchor that calmed him as they rode the next few minutes to the hospital in silence; praying for Denise and the rest of the team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Hopefully you are enjoying the story and will bear with Wyatt through some of these dark days.


	11. Time to Recover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the bunker break-in, Wyatt has to take care of Lucy and gets his first glimpse at his daughter.

Once they arrived at the hospital and the valet saw Denise in the back seat bleeding, medical staff came from every direction and took her into a room to assess the damage. During that time, Lucy had the unfortunate duty of calling Michelle to tell her where Denise was and what happened. She was taken to the operating room before Lucy would allow herself to be seen. Wyatt knew not to argue and that if Lucy was confident enough to wait, then he would let her make the choice. Michelle arrived, and after a few hugs, told them to leave, that she would let them know if anything else happened. 

Wyatt reached out to hold onto Lucy’s arm as they trudged to the elevators, when she didn’t pull away, he slipped his hand into hers. Lucy shot him a surprised look that was followed by a grateful smile. She looked so tired and Wyatt was about ready to suggest that he carry her when they finally got to the main desk of the OB floor. When they told the nurse that Lucy had been hit in the head and fell, she was put into a wheel chair and taken to a room where a bunch of heartbeat monitors were hooked up to Lucy and the baby.

Boom, boom. Boom, boom.

Wyatt dropped into the chair and grabbed Lucy’s hand again. “Was that…”

She smiled wide, “Yes, Wyatt, that was the baby. I told you she would be fine.”

Boom, boom. Boom, boom.

“It sounds fast though, should it sound that fast?” Wyatt asked.

“Yes, a baby heartbeat can sound a little faster than an adult heartbeat. She sounds strong, but we are going to have to observe for a few hours. After a fall, you can’t be too careful,” the nurse said. 

“Now, what happened?”

“We were at home and I slipped in the bathroom. I hit my head and blacked out for a few minutes. I was nervous and wanted to come get checked out,” Lucy covered smoothly. All those fake stories on missions paid off, Wyatt thought.

“Is this your husband?” The nurse asked.

“No, he is not. I was home alone at the time, when I woke up, I called him to bring me here,” Lucy lied.

Wyatt glanced away, wishing that Lucy didn’t have to make this up. That he was her husband and that how she had fallen were not due to a secret organization bent on killing them all. The nurse looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then back at Lucy, instinctively knowing that something was wrong, but not sure what it was. She must have come to the conclusion that Wyatt was at least safe because she started asking other questions about Lucy’s health history and the baby. Wyatt listened to every word, mentally filing it all away in case they needed it in the future. Plus, hearing all the details about the baby and her growth was fascinating. 

“Alright, a doctor will be in soon. For now, get comfortable as you can, I’ll bring you some water and ice. You will have to have an ultrasound, so the tech will be here in a few minutes.”

“Thank you,” Lucy said. Wyatt just stared at the heartbeat monitor, watching it blip on the screen, and hearing the heartbeat echo through the room. Lucy squeezed his hand, “Are you ok? Maybe you need to rest a little bit, this night hasn’t been the greatest for anyone. Isn’t it like 2am or something?”

“I am fine, I texted Rufus and he said the doctor who has been taking care of you is on the way. Flynn and Mason are double checking all the security alarms to see what happened tonight and how Emma got in.” He looked at her and saw her eyes filling with tears. “Hey, it’s going to be fine, we are going to figure this out. Together.”

Lucy shook her head, “Wyatt, I have heard that before. You promised me that I wouldn’t lose you and I did. Now, I have lost my family, almost lost all my friends, and they could have hurt the baby. I don’t know what I would have done if I lost her too.” Lucy started to sob, so Wyatt stood and gently eased himself onto the bed, avoiding the cords and monitors, to wrap his arms around her shoulders. He let her cry, knowing she needed to get it out. As the sobs started to slow down, he rubbed circles on her back and kissed the top of her head.

“I know that I have let you down, Lucy. I have been a horrible person in my timeline, then in this one, I’ve pretty much been a monster. But all I care about is keeping you and the baby safe, to hell with everything else. You are all that matters and I will not let anything happen to either of you, I promise on my life. I hope that even though it is hard, you will at least trust me enough to know that I will keep good on that promise.”

“Wyatt,” Lucy whispered as she touched his face and looked into his eyes. “I have missed you so much.” She had leaned into him when they heard a cough. He smiled, they were almost always getting interrupted in his timeline, so he was not surprised to see that some things never changed.

“Ms Preston, I need to do your ultrasound now. The transport will take you to the other room. Would your husband like to stay here?” The tech asked.

“No,” Wyatt said. “I am coming with her if that’s allowed.” Lucy nodded and looked at the tech.

“Of course,” the tech smiled as she unhooked the monitors and lifted the sides of the gurney so Lucy could be moved without having to stand. As they wheeled her to a new room, Wyatt never let go of her hand, using the other to check in on Rufus and Michelle. Denise was still in surgery and Wyatt promised he would come up when Lucy was done. Rufus said that the whole team had been checked and no one had any lasting damage, but lots of headaches and Motrin for the team. He said Flynn was pacing around staring at walls but the doctor didn’t seem concerned with it, so Rufus wasn’t either.

When they got into the dark room, the tech moved Lucy’s hospital gown aside and Wyatt saw her stomach for the first time since Hollywood. He thought he saw some slight movements and looked at Lucy who rolled her eyes in acknowledgement. The tech put some gel looking substance on her stomach and started to move the wand around. 

“There she is ‘mom’, heartbeat looks normal, all of her vital signs are reading normal.” Wyatt broke out into a smile and didn’t try to hide his tears as he got his first real look at his daughter. He could make out the shape of her head and spine, legs bunched together. 

“Lucy, she’s beautiful,” he whispered. The baby chose that moment to move her arm which made it look like she was waving and he laughed. Before he could stop himself, he leaned up to kiss Lucy on the forehead. Instead of looking angry, she held his hand more tightly. He saw she also had new tears on her face, but these were happy tears and she let them flow.

“You’ve missed so much, I am glad you are getting to see her now,” Lucy said. If the tech thought anything of their conversation, she politely ignored it. Wyatt and Lucy watched as she measured and took pictures, printing out two copies of the latest sonogram, which Wyatt put in his wallet for safe keeping. As she cleaned Lucy’s stomach off, she talked about new babies and how exciting of a time it was. She told them the doctor would do an official review but unofficially, she didn’t see anything to worry about, so the fall must not have done any damage. Wyatt was so grateful he almost hugged her, which was out of character for him, but he hadn’t been a father before and the overwhelming sense of relief made him want to hug every hospital worker in the room. As they traveled down the hall, he told Lucy and her laughter made him happier then he had been in a long time.

After a while in observation, the doctor came in to tell them that Lucy had no concussion and that the ultrasound was clear, so she could leave if she promised to follow up in the next couple days with her primary care doctor. Wyatt promised to watch her carefully and then left while Lucy got dressed. She called him back in and was struggling to get her shoes on so Wyatt put them on her feet and tied the laces, helping her get down from the bed and they slowly walked to the ER waiting area to greet Michelle. 

It had been 4 hours since they left and Denise was still in the operating room, but Michelle was no longer alone. At her side was a man in a dark suit, who kept checking his phone. When they entered, Michelle got up to give them each a grateful hug for coming back and when she hugged Wyatt, she whispered, “He’s Homeland Security, be ready.” Wyatt patted her back and got Lucy settled in a chair as the man came up to him. 

“Excuse me, may I talk to you outside,” he politely asked.

“Yes, one moment,” Wyatt looked to Lucy who nodded stiffly.

Once they got outside, the man turned to Wyatt. “Master Sargent Logan, I am with Homeland Security and one of Agent Christopher’s directors, however this project has been so deeply classified, I don’t even know where all of you have been hiding this whole time. That being said, I trusted that you would at least be safe and now she is being operated on and I am unsure about the rest of your group. Care to fill me in?” 

Wyatt told him what had happened, leaving out Garcia Flynn’s name and overall presence in the bunker. He wasn’t sure what Agent Christopher had told Homeland Security about Flynn’s escape and didn’t want to blow that for any of the team. Right now, he needed Flynn to help keep them all safe.

“Thank you. After this, do you think you are safe in the bunker or do you need moved?” 

“Sir, I think that if we moved, it would only be a matter of time before they found us there. I believe that we are safe as long as the security protocols are followed and we review where the breakdown occurred to eliminate it from happening again. The team is comfortable and moving them might cause undue stress to an already stressful situation.”

“Is that answer for the team or Lucy?”

“Both, sir.” Wyatt responded. The man looked at him for a few seconds and Wyatt wasn’t sure if he was going to argue. 

“Ok, I will let the team stay, provided you take over giving me updates. I will bring a secure device to the hospital with my number on it. The device shouldn’t be able to be tracked, however I would suggest that when you send updates, you leave the facility to make sure they are not able to use any locator systems on you. I know Denise is bent on stopping this organization, Rittenhouse, but part of her job was to keep any information about you or your whereabouts hidden even from ourselves. From what I understand, Rittenhouse has been so successful due to their ability to infiltrate the more secure positions of government without anyone ever knowing who it was. We don’t want that to happen here, so I am your only point of contact, understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I am going to also bring some funds for supplies. I am not sure how Agent Christopher had the food and resources set up, but anything electronic can be traced, so I will give you cash and you spend it as needed. Please know this is not our typical process, but the only person who knows how to manage this is on a table getting a bullet taken out of her back, so we have to make it work.” 

“I understand, sir.” Wyatt didn’t know how any of it was done either. They had asked for food and it appeared. He realized how much Agent Christopher had been doing for them, that no one realized, and he glanced at the door to the operating room and prayed she would make it.

“Essentially, Master Sargent Logan, we can’t risk of bringing in another agent, so this is becoming your responsibility. You will update the security systems to ensure the teams safety, you will manage the missions as you see fit, you will provide the resources needed for them to be effective and get this damn Rittenhouse mess cleaned up for good. For now, you are the best chance we have at getting this finished. Once it is over, I will make sure you are compensated.” With that, the man handed Wyatt a card with some information on it, then reached out his hand to Wyatt, who shook it, dumbfounded, and he left.

Wyatt slowly walked into the waiting room, his head spinning. “Wyatt, what happened, who was that?” Lucy asked.

“Actually, I never got his name,” Wyatt said weakly. “But I think I just got a promotion.”

“His name is Max Hanes. He is Denise’s boss. I haven’t ever met him, but she has complained about him a few times. Honestly, until Lucy came to dinner, I had never met any of Denise’s coworkers. I always was aware of how little I knew about her job and that was ok with me. I never needed to know and figured it was just to keep me safe and I was happy with that. Now, I am terrified. Not of losing her tonight, she is going to come through this, but knowing when she gets better, she will be going back into this life and I could get a phone call like this again.” Michelle started to weep and Lucy lifted herself from the chair and sat next to Michelle, letting her cry on her shoulder. 

“I know, I know. I feel it every time he is away from me, too,” she murmured. 

“How can I tell our kids that she might one day leave and not come home?” Michelle whispered. “How do you do it?” 

“You just do,” Lucy said. “You wake up, make coffee, get ready for the day, and spend the rest of the day praying until you see them again. You appreciate all the happy times; make journals and take pictures when you can. Every memory gets tucked into your heart and as the days go by, you will remember the policewoman you fell in love with. You will trust her skills to keep her safe at work and know that she will be home for dinner.”

Wyatt knew that Lucy was talking about him as much as she was talking about Agent Christopher. She mentioned it, but he hadn’t had time to think about all the missions in this timeline where Lucy was left behind to worry, not sure if any of them would return. There had been a couple missions she had gone on without him that were some of his worst moments, the fear of not knowing when she would return as the clocked ticked so slowly by. He was taken out of the memories by the doctor opening the door.

“Mrs. Christopher?” 

“Yes,” she jumped up.

“Denise is out of surgery and is in recovery. The bullet was very close to her heart so it took a lot longer to repair the damaged tissues then usual. She lost a lot of blood, but overall we were successful and I think she will make a full recovery. Don’t plan on her waking up for a while, but you can go into the room to see her.” 

Michelle doubled over and sat in the chair, she hugged herself as she cried and Lucy put an arm around her. “She’s going to be fine, see. Just fine.” 

The doctor was waiting by the door to lead Michelle to the recovery room, so she grabbed her purse and left. “Go get rest you guys, I will call you if I need anything.”

Wyatt and Lucy were left in the room, staring at the door. “Well, I guess we should leave.” Wyatt said, not wanting to stay, but also remembering Jessica with dread.

“Sure,” Lucy said uncertainly. As they walked down the hall, Lucy holding his arm, they both seemed lost in their thoughts until Lucy said, “Wyatt, I don’t want to go back yet. I know we need to leave the hospital, but can we just take our time. I need some fresh air.”

Wyatt smiled and said, “Absolutely. How about brunch at a real restaurant and a nice walk somewhere outside?”

Lucy laughed, “I was thinking of carry out and a nice bed to sleep in. I’m pregnant, eating and sleeping is kind of my new thing.”

Wyatt laughed as they walked to the car.


	12. Time to Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wyatt is going to take care of Lucy and make sure she is able to rest, even just for the day.

He had money in an account that he had started years ago, he hadn’t told Jessica about it because he had planned to surprise her with the money to buy a house. When she died, he let the account lapse, only adding money enough to avoid it being closed and so he knew there would be plenty enough for a good hotel and food for Lucy. He quickly looked online and found a 5 star hotel nearby the hospital and drove there. He helped Lucy out of the car, then went and got them a room.

“Are you comfortable with us sharing? I got a room with two beds, I didn’t want to assume, but also don’t want you out of my sight for too long.” He apologized. 

“No, that’s fine. I am not used to sleeping alone anymore either. Even in my new private bunker room, I can hear everyone walking around all night. As long as this has a good mattress and pillows, I don’t care who is here.” 

They laughed as they walked to the room. Wyatt was happy, Lucy was actually smiling at him and seemed to have slipped into their easy way of conversation and generally being around each other. He opened the door and Lucy groaned in relief.

“Look at these pillows,” she cried as she dropped onto the bed. “And the duvet, oh Wyatt, this is amazing!” She laid on her side for a moment snuggling into the comfortable bed.

“I am glad you like it. Now, I have to get us some food, what sounds good?”

Lucy looked embarrassed, “I know this sounds bad, but I have been craving a cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake. It’s so bad for you and I appreciate all of Rufus’s healthy food, but a greasy burger would be awesome.”

“Well, it’s only about 7am, so I will try. How about you go and take a bath, then start on a nap. I will grab some food and a few supplies. You can sleep all day or do whatever you want and we will go to the hospital around dinner and then back to the bunker. Sound good?”

“That sounds wonderful. This night has been awful and I am so tired, getting to rest will be the best thing you could imagine,” Lucy said as she walked to the bathroom.

Wyatt waved as she shut the door and walked into the hallway, making sure the door was latched on his way out. He kept an eye out for Emma or anyone that looked like Rittenhouse on his way to the car, but by the time he got inside, was already excited about what he had planned. He called Rufus on the way, asking to talk to Flynn. He told Flynn that Lucy needed sleep and he got her a hotel room while he went out to get food and supplies. He gave him and update on Agent Christopher and told Flynn what their plans were for the day. 

Flynn quietly agreed that it was a good choice and told Wyatt that Jessica had been irate with everyone and to expect a lot of damage in their room when he got back. Wyatt apologized and said he would bring supplies to make it up to the team. They agreed on a cover story for the rest of the team, knowing Rufus wasn’t the greatest at keeping secrets, then Wyatt disconnected and texted Michelle. Denise had briefly woken up only to smile and slip back into sleep again, but Michelle was upbeat and said that it was a sign that she was getting better. Wyatt told her also what the plan was and that they would see her tonight. 

All of the calls finished, Wyatt realized he was passing a Target and pulled in. Once he got inside he grabbed a cart and made his way to the maternity section. Not knowing Lucy’s size, he blushed as he asked the woman restocking clothes in the area, “Can you please help me? I need to get clothes for someone and I don’t know what size or what to get.”

The woman laughed, “We get a lot of people who are guessing in here, so let me ask you a few questions. How far along is she and about how tall?” 

Wyatt answered and she directed him to a couple racks full of shirts, soft pants, and sweaters. When he stared blankly for a moment, she saved him by putting together two outfits that could be “mixed and matched” that she was sure Lucy would like as well as a soft pair of pajama bottoms that she said all women appreciate. He thanked her and as he was walking away, saw the baby section. 

He knew it was probably not the time to get baby stuff, but a pink elephant toy caught his eye and he put it in the cart. Then he saw a pacifier and bib that matched the pink elephant look, so those went in as well. Once he walked down the aisle, he noticed his cart had gotten full of other baby t-shirts, pants, and socks with the pink elephant on them that he had grabbed and thrown in. Shaking his head at how easily pink little things pulled him in, he headed to the men’s section to get some clothes for himself.

Wyatt picked up wine and beer, fun snacks, healthy snacks, not healthy snacks for the team. As he wandered, he put a couple books and magazines in the cart, as well as toiletries that Lucy might need for the next day. Not even sure how he ended up with a full cart, he finally got to the check out, glancing at his watch and realizing he had been there almost an hour and Lucy would be wondering where he went. 

Quickly he asked the cashier for any local diner and she directed him to one that was near the hotel. On the way, he ordered two cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes, and some pie for good measure. After he arrived and paid, he went back to the hotel, bringing the bags in with him. When he opened the door, he almost fell into the room from the weight of the shopping bags. Luckily he was quiet as Lucy was sleeping on the bed, covered in the white duvet. She had showered and just worn the robe to bed Wyatt realized as he saw her clothes on the floor in the bathroom. 

Her hair was dark against the pillow and her face looked so peaceful, Wyatt just stared, grateful that she had this moment of peace. As if she knew he was watching her, an eye peaked open and she smiled; not the guarded hurt smile that he had seen the past couple days and months, but a genuinely happy smile.

“Do I smell French fries?” She said.

Wyatt laughed as she sat up in bed and held her hands for the carry out bags. He watched as she devoured her burger, fries, milkshake and then moved onto the pie, exclaiming what a good idea pie was for breakfast. In all of their time together, he had rarely seen Lucy eat so enthusiastically, even when they were half starved on most of their missions, she still was always delicately picking at food. Not today, today she approached it with gusto that impressed him. As she licked her fingers, he told her so, “Welcome to the world of eating for two. Remember, this isn’t ME eating, it’s the baby.” 

“Sure it is,” he teased and then filled her in on what the team was doing and that Denise had briefly woken up. Lucy noticed the bags of clothes on the other bed.

“What are in the bags?” She asked.

“Well, I figured you would want something to wear, so a lady at the store helped pick these things out. Let’s be honest, she did all the picking out, I just took it and put it in the cart.” He blushed.

“Can I see?” Wyatt handed her the bags and she took out the clothes, thanking him for not getting things in her size and not too big. “I know it shouldn’t matter as long as the baby is healthy,” she explained. “I just am trying to get comfortable with this extra weight. I’m trying to maintain some sense of me through all this.”

“Whatever you wear would look great, Lucy. You look amazing.” He commented as she started to open the bag with the baby items in there. “Wait, well, I just saw that and thought I would get it. I can return it or throw it away or something if you don’t like it. It just seemed really cute while I was there.” 

Lucy held up the baby outfits and started crying as she hugged them. “Thank you, these are so sweet. I know I am crying again. I have been worried about getting the shopping started, but this reminds me that it is coming so soon and it is real.” 

“I know,” Wyatt whispered. “Lucy, we have to stop Rittenhouse so we can enjoy these times and plan and get ready. I am sick of putting my life on hold for them.”  
“What about Jessica and whatever happened in Dallas?” Lucy asked quietly.

Wyatt squared his shoulders and looked Lucy in the eye. “I know this is going to be hard to explain, but in my timeline, I had already decided that Jessica and I didn’t belong together. When we were kids, she was there for me and kept my life on track. I loved her so much,” Lucy looked away and Wyatt moved closer to her, grasping her chin to pull her face back to him. “But I don’t anymore Lucy. In my timeline, I knew that she was what I needed as a kid, as a wild new recruit, to stay grounded. Now, I don’t need that, I need someone who has helped me grow and mature and be the best man I can be, that someone is you Lucy. You saved me, so many times, and you helped me become better. I still might be reckless and wild sometimes, but I need my bossy know it all to keep me in line and tell me what to do. I need you Lucy and I understand if you don’t feel that way. I don’t expect anything from you, but I am going to be around for you as much as you need me and for the baby. This is everything I have ever wanted and I will not lose it again.”

Wyatt didn’t know what to expect and was caught off guard when Lucy lunged forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She didn’t say anything, but stayed there for one, five, ten minutes; Wyatt lost track as he just enjoyed her scent and her body warm against his. When she pulled back, she laughed nervously. “Thank you for saying that. I am sorry, but I am not sure how I feel yet, you did a lot of damage these past few months and the walls I built are going to take a while to wear down. I know that wasn’t this you, but it still hurts when I see you with Jessica or just see you at all.” Wyatt’s heart sank and he lowered his head, ashamed of his past actions and afraid of what was coming next. “But Wyatt, I don’t want you to give up on me. All of our lives have been torn apart the past year and it will take time for all of us to decide what we want when the immediate threat to our lives is over and Rittenhouse is gone. I do want you there, for all of the exciting moments that will happen with this baby, we have this little thing between us now that won’t be going away. So let’s just take it one day at a time and have some hope. Can we do that?” She put her hands into his and he looked in her tear filled eyes.

“Anything for you, Lucy,” he smiled. He wasn’t crazy enough to believe that there would have been declarations of love today, but there was hope and promise for the future and that was enough for him. “Now, do you want to sleep or take a walk?”

“How about some sleep, the food has left me so tired,” she said as she laid back into the pillows. Wyatt got up and threw away the containers and put the clothes on hangers, making himself busy while she got settled. “Wyatt? Will you lay with me a little while?” With a smile he nodded. Quickly changing into a fresh t-shirt and pants, he realized how tired he was as well and was grateful that she pulled back the covers for him to crawl into. 

Once under the heavy fabric, he put his arm out and Lucy laid her head on his chest as he circled his arms around her, within minutes they were both asleep.


	13. Time to Get Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After some much needed rest, Wyatt and Lucy head back to real life.

Wyatt woke to his phone buzzing on the table. He blinked, disoriented at the dark room and weight on his chest. As he looked down, he felt Lucy’s hair tickle his chin. She had her head on his chest like when they fell asleep but at some point through the night, her arm and leg had been draped across him. Wyatt wanted to just enjoy the feeling of her next to him and drift back to sleep, but he knew that the buzzing from his phone wasn’t going to stop. 

“Lucy,” he said softly. “Hey, time to wake up.”

“Mmm,” she murmured and tightened her hold on him, as though trying to capture the last few moments of peace. Slowly she opened her eyes and he smiled at her. She pulled her leg back from where it had covered his and started to roll away, when Wyatt pulled her back into his arms. He hugged her, not wanting her to move but also not wanting her to be embarrassed or upset about their closeness. She hesitated for a moment, then let the weight of her body lean against his again. “Good morning,” she said.

“My phone alarm is going off and as much as I would stay here for days, I don’t think life will let us.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I would stay here too.”

Wyatt kissed the top of her head and moved towards the edge of the bed, giving her space to get comfortable before trying to stand. He walked to her side of the bed and held out his hand to help her up. “Wyatt, I feel like a turtle on its back half the time,” she laughed. 

“Why don’t you go get ready and I will check in with everyone. It’s about 4pm, so there had to have been a long day for everyone.” Lucy nodded, grabbed some of the bags from the store and headed to the bathroom. When he heard the shower running he looked at the messages on his phone.

Rufus and Flynn had taken turns texting updates. Mostly questions asking how Lucy and Denise were doing. One cryptic message from Flynn stating he wanted to talk when they got back, but overall, they didn’t seem to have missed much and he told Lucy that when she got out of the shower. When she was finished, he took a quick shower and got dressed, feeling more refreshed then he had in days.

“Lucy, I know that this hasn’t been the greatest couple days, but I have loved spending this time with you. You did what you always do, just make me feel better. Stronger, happier, how do you do that?”

“Magic?” She shrugged. “I don’t do anything Wyatt, I think we just make a good team and when your team is strong, you are strong.” Like usual, he was caught off guard by one of Lucy’s surprise hugs. He held on and then sighed.

“Alright, let’s go face this mess.” 

They ordered carry out from the same diner, this time Lucy getting a chicken wrapped sandwich and a salad with some lemonade. “That burger was great, but not something I can eat every day, no matter how much I want to.” 

At the hospital, they were greeted by Michelle who looked like she hadn’t moved from the chair next to Denise in hours. Wyatt convinced her to go home and shower, which she gratefully accepted. “I couldn’t leave her alone, not that I could protect her, but the people who shot her are out there and I feel better with you here.” Once she left, Wyatt got another chair for himself and he and Lucy sat in silence, watching the monitor connected to their friend. During the next hour, she opened her eyes once, saw Lucy and drifted back off. Around 6pm, she opened her eyes and actually started to focus. 

“Wyatt?” She croaked.

“Yes, we are here,” he jumped up. 

“The team?”

“They are all fine, everyone is fine.”

“Thank you, I am so glad you are ok. Wyatt, I was always watching. Always watching.” Then she drifted back to sleep. Lucy looked at Wyatt, confused.

“What does that mean?” He questioned. Michelle walked back in, looking more awake and thanked them.

“Now go wherever you need to go, I’ve got this.” Lucy and Wyatt walked out the door and were greeted by Director Hanes who was standing uncomfortably across the hall.

“Director Hanes,” Wyatt said politely.

“Master Sargent Logan,” he responded. “Here is what I promised you, I came to deliver it myself so we don’t have any issues with information getting into the wrong hands.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“As I said, you are in charge of this assignment going forward. I need updates and can assist wherever else you think you might need it, but get this done. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir. I do.”

“Good,” Director Hanes said. He turned to Lucy and extended his hand, “Ms. Preston, congratulations are in order. For all of your sake, I hope this threat is gone soon.”

“So do we, sir,” Lucy responded. 

Director Hanes glanced in the door of the hospital room and walked swiftly down the hallway. 

“Time to go back,” Wyatt said. He held his arm to Lucy and they walked together to the car. Once they got in, she reached for his hand and he drew strength from her tight grip. 

“I am going to miss this, Lucy, but I promise you that all of it will be over soon. Jessica, Emma, Rittenhouse, living in this hole in the ground. I am going to do everything I can to end it.”

“What are we going to do when we get back?” 

“Find out what the team has been doing to determine how Emma got in, make a plan for that going forward, and figure out how to get Jessica out of here. If we just kick her out, she could tell the world where we are and even though Rittenhouse might have some people that know, we don’t want Homeland Security checking in on us and taking Flynn. But if she stays, she makes all of us miserable. I am sorry, but she does have to stay, we have to keep her happy just until Emma is taken out.”

“I know, I hate it, but I understand.”

Wyatt parked behind the bunker, thinking he needed a new plan for the car, but that he would deal with it later. He texted Flynn and Rufus to let them know they were there so there wouldn’t be any surprises when they walked through the door. He got the bags from the store and they waited at the door.

It was opened and Jiya came rushing out to hug Lucy. “We were so worried!” She exclaimed. 

“I am sorry, I just needed observed for a while but am totally fine now.” 

“Well you look great,” Jiya gushed. “I missed you, it has been hell here.”

Wyatt herded the group in the door. Rufus and Flynn noticed he was weighted down with bags and took them from Wyatt so he could close the door behind him. Flynn leaned close and whispered the new code so Wyatt could enter it and seal the door shut.

Once that was done, the group slowly walked down to the kitchen. Wyatt gave an update on Denise and Jiya looked through the shopping bags, happy over Wyatt’s purchases. Lucy discretely took the bags containing baby items and her new clothes from Jiya and excused herself to go to her room. Jiya followed, not wanting to leave Lucy’s side and Wyatt watched them go, happy Lucy had Jiya to help her.

“So, where were you?” Rufus demanded in a whisper. “If Lucy really were in trouble, you would have called right? I know Flynn wasn’t telling the truth.”

“I took Lucy to the hospital then when she was cleared, I took her to get food and some sleep. While she slept I got us some supplies. That’s it Rufus, nothing exciting.”

“You call getting a real bed, food, and shower not exciting?” Rufus accused, but smiled as he said it. “She looks better, you look better. I hope things were good with you.” 

“Yep, it’s ok for now. We both agree Rittenhouse and Dallas are the first priorities.”

“On that note,” Flynn interjected. “We haven’t heard from Emma or seen any time jumps since you left. They got whatever it was they needed from here and left. But I still don’t know what they took. Did Denise say anything?”

“She just said the same thing, ‘I was always watching.’ Not sure what that means.”

“I think I do. I noticed a hole in the wall after you left yesterday. Tiny, the size of a bullet and no one would notice it, but I found it. I think there was a camera in there, but I can’t get behind the wall. I’ve been pacing around here looking for other cameras, I think Denise has been watching us.”

“That sounds creepy,” Rufus commented. 

“Maybe, but that would be really helpful. If she had cameras, we can see how Emma got in here.”

“Exactly, I want to know how this happened,” Flynn said.

“Ok, first line of business is to find the camera, find the feed so we can learn what Denise was seeing and hopefully trace back to when Emma got here. Does anyone else know about this, Flynn?”

“Just us, but the more minds on it the better.”

“Hey, guys, Lucy is going to go in for the night. Wyatt, I know you need to go talk to Jessica, but I want to discuss something with you first,” Jiya started. “I started thinking about this a while ago, when we found out Lucy was pregnant. I was thinking that maybe we should hide Lucy for a while, hide her in time.”

“That would be great, Jiya, but if we can track them, they can track us. Where are we going to go that they can’t find her?” Rufus said.

“Well, I was thinking about that. What if we started by taking a trip or two tonight and tomorrow? Random places since the start of the 20th century. So we go to all these places, drop Lucy in one of them, and then continue to go to random places so Rittenhouse will spend a lot of time searching looking for us and trying to figure out where we went. If we hit a dozen locations in the past 100 years, we can find a place to hide Lucy.”

“And what, we just leave her there? What if something happens and we can’t get back to her?” Wyatt asked.

“I was thinking she could hide out just for a few weeks. That would at least give us time to get the Dallas problem taken care of and then put all of our energy into Rittenhouse. At the very least, stopping Emma, since she seems to have it out for us more then anyone else. Since they will be spending time hopping around looking for us, we can stay in the present and maybe figure out their home base.”  
“I like it, Jiya,” Flynn said. “But we haven’t found them so far, why would this be different?”

“Because this time, you won’t be distracted, you won’t have to worry about anyone but yourselves.”

“Do you think you can take the Lifeboat somewhere and back within the next couple hours? To get one trip down and then see from there what Lucy thinks?”

“Sure,” Jiya exclaimed. “I know Connor doesn’t love traveling, but I can take him with me, so you all have time to keep searching. Also, I have only done this once without Rufus, so this is good practice.”

“Jiya, for this to work, we have to make sure Lucy is somewhere safe. Also, the baby might count as one person, so it doesn’t leave room for many of us in the lifeboat.”

“I have thought of that, but let me take this trip and I’ll be back. I don’t mind and it will get me out of here for when you finally talk to Jessica which is going to be a disaster that I don't want to witness. To be continued.” Jiya ran to the kitchen to get Connor Mason and after much arguing, got him in the Lifeboat and it disappeared. 

Knowing Lucy was sleeping, Flynn was still searching for cameras, and Rufus was looking for information on the computer, Wyatt knew he put off talking to Jessica long enough. He cautiously walked to the door and knocked once before entering.


	14. Time to Realize the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wyatt has a talk with Jessica, learns the book is missing, and sees the videos that Agent Christopher had been watching.

It looked like a hurricane had hit the room; clothes were everywhere, food wrappers covered the shelves, and there were a few bottles of wine lying around. Apparently Jessica had been in the room non-stop since Wyatt left. She seemed to be sleeping on the bed, so Wyatt crept around the room, looking at things that were a mess, checking for anything out of the ordinary. 

“You could at least say hello after not being here for the past day,” Jessica muttered. 

“I am sorry, I thought you were sleeping.” Wyatt sheepishly answered.

“Wyatt, where have you been? No one would tell me anything.”

“I took Agent Christopher to the hospital and have been sitting with her and her wife. Lucy got checked out and needed observed as well.”

Jessica sighed. “Always Lucy, isn’t it. Wyatt, what happened to you? I mean, what really happened to you?”

“I have been trying to tell you, Jessica. I grew up, I am not the same person I was when we were kids. It wasn’t about Lucy, it was losing you the first time when you died and learning to be strong again. I was forced to be someone new and I like that person. I am sorry, but I am not going back.”

“Wyatt, I have freaked out a lot these days. I think the bunker has made me crazy. But you should know that I am not the same person either. In your timeline, I was dead, but in this one, I am very much alive and probably different then you would expect too. All of these missions have left me alone to do thinking as well. If I have the chance for a better life, you should know I will take it.”

This wasn’t how Wyatt expected the conversation to go and he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Jessica, what are you saying?”

“Just that you need to learn about me too, Wyatt," Jessica stood up and started to pace. "Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea. I mean, I never thought it would end up like this."

"I am confused. What are you talking about?" He said cautiously. Jessica had her back to him and she suddenly straightened up and turned to smile serenely. 

"Nothing, I am just talking out loud. Wyatt, I am going to leave the bunker, but I need to pack my things. Just give me some space and I will work it out on my own, then we can see who is left standing after all these missions are over.”

It was an odd statement and Wyatt felt like a shadow had crept into the room. He looked around at the mess and Jessica smiling in the center of it, as though not caring about the disaster around her. As he stared at her, he realized that as broken as he felt, it seemed that Jessica was broken as well – maybe more then he could have guessed and it made him nervous thinking of her in the bunker, so close to Lucy and his friends.

“Jessica, yes. After you leave, take some time to figure things out. We have Rittenhouse that we have to get taken care of. It’s time to be done with that.”

“Do you really think your team will ever take out Rittenhouse?”

“I do,” Wyatt said earnestly. “I am going to check on everyone and will be back.”

Jessica nodded and he shut the door as he walked out. Jessica had just pulled a 180 on him; from the deranged version of Jessica who had thrown things at him when he told her they were over to someone more similar to the Jessica he had seen only a few days ago in his own timeline. Why was she suddenly so willing to leave and let him go? Wyatt stood and stared at the door, ready to go back in and ask her, when he realized what was missing from his room: the book was gone.

“Flynn, Rufus, how long until Jiya and Mason are back?” Wyatt asked as he entered the hangar.

“I am not sure, we don’t usually do such quick jumps, but I hope they should be back soon. I don’t like being away from Jiya and I want it known that I don’t like or agree with her taking all these jumps.”

“Listen, Rufus," Wyatt whispered to him. "I don’t either, but the more I think about it, this might be the only way to hide Lucy and keep her safe. Jiya is one of the smartest people I know and as long as Lucy goes along with this, knowing that Rittenhouse can’t get to her or the baby will keep us focused for the better.” Rufus slowly nodded at Wyatt, agreeing even though he looked nervous. “Rufus there is a bigger issue, the book is gone. The book that had the piece of paper in it in my room. I asked Jessica about reading and she said she never reads anything, so what was the book doing in our room if it wasn’t mine? And what did Jessica do with it. Or is that what Emma was looking for? What could a book have to do with Rittenhouse?”

“Wyatt, do you remember anything about the book? The name, author, kind of book? Maybe that has something to do with it?”

“It was the Hobbit. I mean, that should have tipped me off that it was odd because as much as she never has liked reading books, she also has never liked anything fantasy related, not even Star Wars. Also, Jessica has totally calmed down and is acting like nothing is wrong, like a normal person again. What the hell happened to her? She was just calm and polite and never mentioned me staying with her or whatever happened in Dallas at all. It’s like she is a different person and I don’t like it.”

“Rufus, Wyatt,” Flynn called from the back of the hangar. “I found something.” He pointed to a dent in the wall above their heads. “That dent is a camera. We have been filmed in this room. I found these dents around the hangar and all are hiding cameras. The ripple in the tin walls hide the discoloration of the spot where the camera is.”

“Rufus, that had to have gone somewhere that Agent Christopher could see what we were doing. We need to know what she saw on that camera.”

Just then the alarm sounded, indicating the Lifeboat was about to appear. 

“Never again; just never again. Bloody hell,” Mason gagged as he exited the Lifeboat with Jiya laughing behind him. 

“Just give it a couple hours, Connor, then we go again!” 

“No, I will not step one foot inside that contraption.” 

“So everything went well?” Rufus laughed.

“Yes, and it’s time to tell you where we are going.”

“We?” Wyatt asked.

“Yes, we. Wyatt, Rufus, I am going to stay with Lucy. She needs someone and I think that between all of you, you don’t need me. I will be out of the way and I can take care of her. There isn’t anyone else who can do this.”

Wyatt’s heart beat rapidly as he thought about the reality being away from Lucy for a few weeks. He glanced at Rufus and saw the same expression on his face. “Can we do this, Rufus?” When Jiya first mentioned the idea, it sounded like it would be easy, but the more Wyatt thought about Jessica finally leaving and being able to be free with Lucy again, he wasn’t so sure.  
“I hate it, but it might be the best chance at keeping Lucy safe.”

“Who is keeping Lucy safe?” Lucy said as she walked in the room. “Sorry, I mean to make more noise when I arrive so you don’t look so startled. I couldn’t sleep anymore and am glad I couldn’t or else I would miss some big news?” 

“Lucy, we have a plan,” Jiya said. Then proceeded to tell Lucy what they wanted to do.

“And you are all comfortable with this? Just shipping me off somewhere to wait in time while you fight this war against Rittenhouse?” She asked.

“No, I am not comfortable with this at all. But all I care about is making sure you and the baby are safe. If Jiya thinks it will work, I am willing to try. And it will only be a couple weeks, just to give us time to gain some headway.”

“And I’ll be going with you! It will be like Thelma and Louise, but not off a cliff or anything.” Jiya said enthusiastically. “I’ve picked out a great location, guaranteed to keep you well rested until they come back to get us.”

Lucy was quiet and everyone waited for her to speak. “I shouldn’t agree so quickly, but I trust my team, and if the team thinks this will work, I will go along with it. I know that right now, I am the weak link and if I take myself out of the chain, the weak spot will be gone. When do we go?”

“After the next Lifeboat jump and I have had a chance to get all my computers secure for whatever comes next. Today we can have a nice food, watch TV since we won’t have that anymore soon, pack a bag, and be ready!”

“I will take the Lifeboat out for a random trip before then,” Rufus said. “I don’t want to miss time with you, Jiya, but I want you to get some rest.”

Wyatt pulled Lucy to the side and hugged her. She was surprised at his openness, but squeezed back, as nervous as he was. “Lucy, you need to pack some comfy clothes, modern toiletries and medicine, and I am sending a gun with each of you. No, don’t shake your head. You and Jiya might need it and I don’t want you there unprotected.”

“Fine, Wyatt. I am going to miss you,” she whispered. 

“I am going to miss you too, but just think about coming back and not having to look over your shoulder. Maybe it will be a bright new world.” He hoped out loud. He wanted to tell Lucy how odd Jessica had acted, but decided to wait. In a few hours when they were used to the idea he would fill her in on everything.

She smiled. “Promise?”

“I will try my best. Now why don’t you go pack and we will have a nice breakfast. Spend the day doing all the things you will not be able to in the next two weeks.” She closed her eyes and sighed before walking to the kitchen. 

While Rufus got the Lifeboat ready, Wyatt was able to talk to Flynn about the conversation with Director Hanes. Flynn thanked Wyatt for leaving him out of it, but questioned whether he wanted to position of leader of the team. Wyatt realized he did like the idea of taking on the team and with a baby coming, he no longer needed or wanted the dangerous missions to be an everyday thing. Once they got rid of Rittenhouse, maybe Homeland Security was his future. Flynn nodded approvingly and then asked about Jessica. Wyatt explained how odd Jessica reacted to him and the missing book.

“Wyatt, something isn’t right. Why did she have that book and where did it go? Once Lucy and Jiya are gone, we need to figure out the code that was in there.”

“Guys, I need you to come here for a minute.” Jiya said urgently. “I found something. Rufus, I need you here. Wyatt, go get Lucy.”

“Lucy is here,” Lucy said as she walked to her chair and sat down, but scooted closer to Jiya’s computer. “What is going on?”

“I found a video file. Don’t get mad, but I figured out Agent Christopher’s password. She has been using the same computer as Connor and I wanted to keep track of his notes, so I had put a program to track what he did so we wouldn’t lose anything. It also happened to track password entries, sorry. Connor, you should change yours by the way. I clicked on the first one and you need to see it.”

The group crowded around the computer screen and watched the black and white scene unfold. The screen showed an empty set of desks in the hangar, then Wyatt’s heart started to beat faster as he watched himself sit at Lucy’s desk, look over his shoulder, then start typing. The group all looked at him and he shook his head, this was the other timeline Wyatt, so he had no idea what was happening.  
Jiya fast forwarded a little and after about 10 minutes, Wyatt seemed to finish what he was doing and walk away from the computer. Wyatt noticed that the other timeline Wyatt briefly touched the sonogram photo before leaving, something Lucy must have also noticed because she sucked in a breath and looked at him. Wyatt was relived as he realized that the other timeline Wyatt did care, but there must have been something going on that was keeping him from showing it.

Jiya started to fast forward again and suddenly Jessica was on the screen, walking confidently to the same computer desk and entering a USB drive, seeming to pull data from the computer. She finished quickly and walked out of the camera’s view. No one in the hangar said a word until Flynn broke the silence.

“Logan, what the hell was that?”

Wyatt couldn’t believe what he had seen. “I don’t know. That wasn’t me, I don’t know what that Wyatt was doing and I sure don’t know what Jessica was doing.”

“Before we jump to conclusions, let’s keep watching,” Jiya gently said. She fast forwarded through a lot of tape, comings and goings of the team, a few more late night visits to the computers from Jessica, but nothing else from the hangar until they got to the day of this Wyatt’s return. Wyatt watched the activities of the last few days unfold on the screen, including Emma breaking into the bunker. It all happened the way that Flynn and Lucy had described down to Agent Christopher being shot in the back and Wyatt finding them. As that video finished, Jiya found a stream of video from the entrance hallway and began to play that.

There were days of Agent Christopher coming in and out of the bunker, when Jiya gasped. Jessica was seen turning off the alarm and passing something to an arm that reached into the bunker. As soon as the hand received whatever Jessica handed to them, it was pulled back and she locked and reset the door alarm. Wyatt’s stomach dropped.

Jessica was working against them. 

“Wyatt, you know what this means?” Rufus said quietly.

“That I married a lying witch who is helping to try and kill my friends and family?” He said coldly.

“Well, yes, but Agent Christopher knew this. Why did she know and not tell us?”

“She was probably waiting to see how far Jessica would go and counting on us to be there to stop her.”

“Oh my god, look,” Jiya gasped as they watched Wyatt and Jessica leave the bunker on the day of the attack. On the video, Wyatt closed the door and set the alarm then after a minute; Jessica reentered and turned off the alarm, closing the door behind her to leave without turning the alarm back on. “Wyatt, Jessica was the one who let them in. She let Emma in here.”

Jessica was Rittenhouse.

“Did you see her come back in the bunker, Wyatt?” Lucy asked.

“She said she forgot her phone and ran back. She told me Agent Christopher was at the door and reset the alarm, I didn’t have any reason not to believe her.” Wyatt whispered back. 

After everything he had been through with Jessica’s death, Wyatt thought he didn’t have much of his heart left to break. This betrayal from Jessica shattered everything he had left. He dropped to his knees. He heard whispers and was sure his friends were discussing the poison he had brought into the bunker. All of Jessica’s drama had been to distract everyone from what she was doing, spying on them to help Rittenhouse. Without knowing it, he had helped; by bringing Jessica to the bunker, he had given Rittenhouse a daily update on their comings and goings, arguments, discussions and he would never forgive himself for being so blind. 

He felt arms around him and he flinched until he felt the softness of Lucy’s hair against his cheek and realized she had joined him on the floor to hold him tightly against her.  
“You didn’t know, Wyatt. What could you do?”

“Wyatt, did you ever suspect something was wrong? Even in your timeline? She was always acting so crazy, we stayed away from her. After so long, she could go wherever she wanted and we avoided her.” Jiya said.

“No,” he mumbled. “I am so sorry. I am sorry.” He cried into Lucy’s shoulder while Flynn, Rufus, Connor, and Jiya looked again at the videos, being kind enough to give him a few minutes to grieve. Lucy stayed with him on the floor and when she shifted, he knew it was time to stand up, both physically and mentally. “Lucy, what do I do now?”

He stood up first and reached down to help Lucy and she held his hand. “Wyatt, Director Hanes gave you an order to keep the missions going and break down Rittenhouse. Now, we no longer have to be dealing with two issues since Jessica and Emma are clearly a team, we can fight them head on. You are going to confront Jessica and stop all of them, before I have this baby. Got it?”

He nodded and took a deep breath. “Jiya and Rufus, how soon until the Lifeboat is ready to go?”

“Like a few minutes,” Rufus said. 

“Lucy and Jiya, grab your bags and leave now. Rufus, take them anywhere that is safe. You have 30 minutes and I want this ship gone.”

“I already know where we are going,” Jiya said. “I have had this plan for a long time and been researching. Fortunately, I don’t think Jessica would have gotten this info, so we should be safe. They can track us, but we only will be landing and then could technically go in any direction, so it will be hard to figure out.”

“Don’t tell us now, Rufus will tell us when he gets back.”

“Wyatt, I don’t want to leave you now,” Lucy said urgently. “Please, I am scared you will need my help or Jiya’s. I am scared to be away from you, really far away from you. Even when Jessica came back, I always knew you were nearby if I needed you or you needed me, and now you won’t be. What if something happens?”

“Trust me, where we are going, nothing happens. Pack some books.” Jiya interrupted as she laughed tightly. This wasn’t going to be a vacation, but she was doing her best to keep the mood upbeat. Wyatt appreciated it, more then Jiya knew. 

“Thank you, Jiya. I know this isn’t what you want to be doing either, but thank you.”

“Wyatt, it is what I want to do, I want Lucy and my goddaughter safe.”

“What was that about a goddaughter?” Rufus said from the Lifeboat. “I heard that Jiya.”

“Flynn, will you and Connor stand outside my room to make sure Jessica doesn’t leave? I will help get Lucy and Jiya’s stuff in the Lifeboat while Rufus gets it ready to go. Once they leave, we can confront Jessica.” 

Flynn checked his gun and put it back in its holster. “How about some whiskey from the kitchen, Mr. Mason?”

“That sounds lovely,” Connor replied and they walked off to watch Wyatt and Jessica’s room.

Wyatt and Lucy walked together to Lucy’s room to get her bags ready. Wyatt held her hand, hoping that all this affection wasn’t too much for Lucy, but she gripped onto him tightly. “Lucy, I am scared too. But if I know you are safe, I won’t be afraid anymore. This life is not how I want the baby to be born, we have to make it good for her, we have to stop Rittenhouse. They have destroyed our lives, but I won’t let them destroy hers. That is what I am fighting for now.”

“Wyatt, I am going to miss you,” she said simply. In her room, Wyatt sat awkwardly on the bed while she handed him clothes to put in her bag. He noticed her new things went in there and smiled. She also packed lots of Tylenol, stomach medicines, Sudafed, all baby doctor approved, she told him. Then put pens, journals, paper, and at least 5 books. A couple pairs of comfortable shoes and she claimed she was ready. “I don’t know where or when Jiya is taking me, so I don’t know what to pack, but this should cover me. Maybe a beach somewhere? Or overseas? Odd we never travel out of the country much, it’s weird Rittenhouse never branched out. I really would like to see more of the world and the time machine is a lot faster then air planes.” Lucy was babbling as she paced nervously.

“When we get done and the baby is here, I would love to go somewhere for fun again,” Wyatt said wistfully. “Lucy, we only have a few minutes, so this is going to come out rushed and I am sorry about that. When you get home, I want to take you on a date. A real date with flowers and dinner and a movie, just you and me. Would you think about it?”

“I will, Wyatt. I will think about that a lot.” He leaned in to hug her. Wyatt was grateful that their time together the past few days had at least allowed her to be comfortable with hugs and hand holding. Even though Lucy was pregnant, he didn’t want to rush anything because this might be their last shot together and he wanted it to be right. Wyatt was going to be happy with any smile or gesture she gave him, they had been through too much together and being a part of her life was all he wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading. As I said before, this is Wyatt's chance to make up for some of the things he has done to the team and Lucy. I am excited to see Wyatt be the hero of the story and make things right again!
> 
> I probably should have explained that this is an AU post S2 episode 7. 
> 
> Let me know what you think, the comments keep me motivated!


	15. Time to Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Lucy and Jiya to go, lots of hugs and kisses before they leave.

Wyatt and Lucy walked slowly to the hangar, savoring the minutes before she left. They passed Flynn and Mason, who were leaning on either side of Wyatt’s door. Mason hugged Lucy.

“I’ll be thinking of you, Lucy. Keep that little girl safe for all of us?” Mason requested. Lucy nodded, tears already in her eyes.

Flynn was next and although he wasn’t typically a tactile man, he made exception for Lucy and wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes and whispering into her ear. Lucy laughed and Wyatt wished he heard what he was saying, but also knew it wasn’t his business. He glanced towards Mason who smiled reassuringly. Wyatt had noticed the general warming towards him after the fight with Jessica from all of his team mates. Once Lucy and Jiya were gone, he was going to need them all to trust him as they took down Rittenhouse. He was starting to form plans in his mind and knew that they were all going to need each other to make it. Connor Mason had started this with his time machine and even though he commented on not being needed too much any longer, his knowledge of science and engineering were vital.

Lucy pulled away from Flynn and smiled as she patted Flynn’s arm and turned away. Wyatt couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t touch Flynn’s cheek or face the way that Lucy had touched his own face many times and he felt a spark of confidence in her feelings towards him. Wyatt held out his arm and she took it to continue walking down the hallway. As they passed the kitchen, they almost literally ran into Jiya who had two huge shopping bags full of food and random appliances.

“Are we going somewhere without food?” Lucy wondered.

“No, there will be food, but I love these kinds of granola bars and wanted some of the other comforts of a modern kitchen. Thermometers, water solvent, coffee maker – just the small one, and some other things we might want or need.” Jiya explained. “Since the baby counts as one person but doesn’t take up a seat, we have an empty one for bags. So, I am thinking we should load up for these couple weeks for comforts sake, and then it will mean less interacting with locals and less chances to change history.” She looked at Lucy, waiting for her to argue or disagree and instead, Lucy laughed. 

“I am giving in way too easily today,” she joked. “Jiya, thank you for thinking of all of this. I brought some comfy shoes and books, without you it seems I would be lost.”

“Don’t worry, Lucy. I picked somewhere that you will like and will give us time to rest.”

“I doubt that I am going to be able to sleep or do anything but think of what is happening here.”

“Lucy,” Wyatt chided. “We will get this all worked out for you and the baby to come home to. Trust us and let Jiya take care of you.” He sounded a lot more confident then he was, but he had a new reason to fight and he was going to do all he could to give this baby a good start in life.

Lucy nodded again and then looked towards the hangar. “Come on, Jiya. Let’s go and get this over with.” She walked ahead, so Wyatt took a bag from Jiya. When they got to the hangar, Rufus was putting one of Jiya’s bags into the Lifeboat and took the other ones from Wyatt. Jiya ran out of the room for a minute, claiming she had to say goodbye to Mason and Flynn, so Wyatt had an extra minute to hold onto Lucy. 

He took her arm and held her hand, kissing the inside of her palm. “I am going to miss you, so, so much.” 

“I know, I am going to miss you too. Wyatt, I am scared. What if you don’t come back to get me? What if something happens and I can’t get to you?” She paused. “I don’t think I can go, we need to tell them ‘no’.”

“Lucy, I am scared too and all those questions are in my mind. But I know you and I know Jiya, and you will figure out how to get a message to us if we are needed. As long as you are safe, we can do what we need to get rid of them for good.” 

“But, what if…” Lucy trailed off.

“There are a million ‘what if’s’, Lucy. I learned a lot time ago to just ignore the doubt and move forward with a plan. In the army, we are given a mission and we carry it out. No matter how many questions we have, we trust our officers to lead us. Trust us, Lucy.”

“I am not a soldier, Wyatt. I am a history professor.”

“You are so much more than that. You are strong, the strongest person I know. To deal with all this; your family, Rittenhouse, me, and the baby without complaint or breaking down has given you the strength to tackle anything. You just have to be strong for a couple more weeks.” When Lucy looked away from him, he said, “If you truly don’t want to go, we can pull the plug on all of this, but if you think you can try, it might give us the opportunity to stop Rittenhouse. What do you think, can you try?”

Lucy leaned forward and kissed him, lightly. “Yes,” she whispered against his lips, then put her head on his shoulder as he held her. Wyatt felt her heart beat and smelled the flowery scent of her hair, trying to remember everything.

“Wyatt, Lucy,” Jiya interrupted. “Sorry, but I wanted to give you this and talk about a couple things before we go. I asked Flynn and Mason to join us for a minute.”

The whole team circled around Jiya, with Flynn and Wyatt standing on either side of Lucy like body guards. The group all watched the door to the hangar, everyone nervous and wanting to get moving soon.

“Make it quick, Jiya,” Flynn warned. “Every minute away from that door gives Jessica a chance to come in here.”

“I know, I know,” Jiya said. “So, I made a few USB files of our lives. I made one for each of us, I found a lot of stuff online and through old Instagram, Facebook, MySpace, type accounts. I put articles you have written and different accomplishments on here. While we are in the lifeboat, I am going to tape them on the inside so whoever is traveling will always remember who was left behind and know about your lives.” Wyatt could see from the swallowing and nodding that he wasn’t the only one moved by her gesture. 

“Also, I am putting the date and location where Rufus is taking us in the Lifeboat so you will know where and when we are. Remember, one day for you is one day for us. So as you count days, we are as well, just in our own time. Lucy and Wyatt, I made you mini baby count downs that I copied from a parent book. It gives an idea of what to think about and ideas for prepping for the baby. Granted, we can’t do that much prep where any of us will be, but you can think about it and make lists and plans for when this is over. Maybe just a little motivation.”

“Jiya, when did you have time for all this?” Wyatt was shocked.

“I told you guys, I have been planning this for a while and just got things ready in case.” Jiya shrugged, but looked pleased with herself. “So, once Rufus gets back, he will tell you where we are. Once we land, I will also tell him how I plan to get messages to you. Don’t worry, you will hear from us.”

“Can I write letters, would that be part of the messages?” Lucy suddenly gripped Wyatt’s hand. This would be her way to talk to him.

“Yes, you can!” 

“Thank you, so much. I feel a lot better,” Lucy stated. “Jiya, if you don’t have anything else, let’s go before I start to get too scared again.”

Flynn and Mason each gave fast hugs and left to go back to their post, while Wyatt held Lucy one more time before helping her into the Lifeboat. As he had done dozens of times before, he got all of her belts securely fastened. She was crying steadily as she watched Jiya and Rufus get their belts fastened. 

“Oh Wyatt,” she whispered, holding his hand. “Please come back to me.”

“Lucy, whatever it takes, I will,” he leaned over and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he was tempted to just stay in the Lifeboat. Let them all go together somewhere and just stay there, living out their lives like ordinary people.

As he contemplated running, he thought about all the figures from history who had helped them. Those who hadn’t run away when strangers came and presented them with danger; some of his hero’s like Kate Drummond, Ian Fleming, Wendell Scott, and so many more that he had never heard of until he landed in their timeline and endangered their lives. They had all been brave enough to stay even though each were probably as scared as he was. For them, he would fight and he would be there to tell his daughter about it.

Wyatt pulled away from Lucy, kissed her once more on the cheek and whispered, “I love you.” Then he stepped out of the Lifeboat as the door shut behind him.


	16. Time to Deal With Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Lucy and Jiya gone, Wyatt can't put off confronting Jessica any longer. He realizes she has turned into someone he doesn't know.

Wyatt stood and watched the Lifeboat disappear. Jiya had been sure to unplug all the computers so that it wouldn’t collect any data from their leaving or make any of the typical alert noises. Jessica had been spying on them and no one had had time to really determine what she was looking for in those computers, so Jiya didn’t want to take any chances. Most likely Rittenhouse had a program to track them, but at least they would be surprised and it would buy Rufus some time to get away. 

As he plugged in the computers, he thought about how he would confront Jessica. Lucy leaving had happened so fast, all he had been able to focus on was getting her away to safety and out of Rittenhouse’s grasp, but now the sense of dread had returned. He had to get it over with, hopefully the words would come to him. He walked to the door, looked at Flynn and Mason. 

“Connor, why don’t you get the computers up and running again?” Connor agreed and swiftly left for the hangar. Once he was gone, Wyatt said, “Flynn, are you ready?”

Flynn and Wyatt lifted their guns, holding them at eye level and Wyatt pushed the door open. 

“Wyatt?” Jessica asked. She was holding her purse and had the suitcase she came with packed at her side. The room was perfectly clean, all evidence of her presence gone except for one framed photo on the shelf. “What’s going on?” 

“Why don’t you tell us what you have been doing here, Jessica.” It was a statement, not a question and Wyatt held the gun tighter to let her know that he wasn’t asking. “What are you doing here?”

Jessica sighed and set her purse on top of the suitcase. “Well, it took you long enough.” Flynn had circled to the back of the room and she glanced at him then laughed. “Oh, Mr. Flynn. I could have killed you so many times, I am not a threat at this moment, you can put the gun down.”

“Thanks for not killing me, but I think I’ll keep the gun where it is,” he quipped.

“Suit yourself,” Jessica pulled the desk chair out and sat down. “So do you want me to monologue and tell you my evil plan? Are you going to torture me if I don’t? I would really like to see you try, although my skills have gone downhill since you came back and I got stuck in this piece of crap. God, you were so easy Wyatt. The US Military trained you and Rittenhouse trained me, who do you think is the better soldier now?” She laughed.

“How long, Jessica? How long have you been with them?”

“How long have I been with them or how long have I been lying to you? What really is your question, Wyatt?”

Wyatt felt his heart begin to beat faster. She was playing with him. “Isn’t it the same answer to both questions? I am sure they went after you from birth, right?”

Jessica started picking at her nails, “Not quite, but close. Remember my brother, who you thought had died? He was sick and someone came to our house to offer a cure, but we had to help them. Who would say no, Wyatt? You are about to be a father, would you turn that down?”

“Would I risk my child’s life to rid the world of evil? Yes, Jessica, I would, because that is what is right.”

She laughed, “Well, thank God we never had kids because we think pretty differently about what their lives are worth. Anyway, once he got better they started to teach us all the things wrong with the world and how we could help. Wyatt, Rittenhouse is here to save us, not hurt us. If you would take time to listen, to hear them out. I have been leaving hints since we met, but you never listened.” She sadly shook her head.

“They killed Garcia’s family. Good people don’t kill people.” 

“You do, you have killed lots of people, Wyatt. Some of them, by the way, were my friends. Rittenhouse is where I grew up. The camps I went to, they were at Rittenhouse. The girl’s weekends, the college classes, the late work nights, all Rittenhouse. At least when you were away I didn’t have to lie so much, I felt really bad about lying.”

“You felt bad? Are we supposed to believe that?”

“Yes, I am not a bad person, Wyatt. I believe in Rittenhouse and I trust them to know what is best to keep the clocks all working. They gave my family hope and gave me my brother back, how could I ever turn away from them? When you came back from that mission, we knew it was time to bring me in a bit deeper. You had gotten way too close to Lucy, clearly.” She rolled her eyes at him. “I was a little jealous, but when Emma told me how I had been dead in your original timeline, I was so grateful that at least that story had changed, I didn’t mind your relationship with Lucy as much. I mean, the constant puppy dog eyes and missions away together were really annoying, but whatever, at least it kept you distracted.”

“So all that jealous rage was an act? What about whatever you said I did in Dallas, is that even true?”

“Oh that’s true, Wyatt. My one little piece of fun to hold over you, which you still haven’t figured out yet. The best part is, it had nothing to do with Rittenhouse. It was all you, being the stupid hot head you have always been. But, the angry wife bit, that was all an act. Everyone was so disgusted, they avoided me at all times and I had free reign to do what I wanted down here.”

“What did you take off the computer?” Flynn asked from behind her.

“I shouldn’t tell you, but I guess it doesn’t matter now since we have all we need; just data and information about the Lifeboat. Keep in mind, we only are just figuring out how it all works. Emma is a great pilot and has been piecing together what Anthony was working on before he died, but some of the intricate details for flights and problem resolution. I don’t know how to decipher all of it, but I do know computers and how to download files. Every time the ship went out, I would steal the data and pass off to Rittenhouse, it was honestly easy. Too bad Agent Christopher figured it out.”

“What? Did she tell you?”

“No, but I knew she was watching me. Every move I made she was there. She would show up outside the bathroom door, in the kitchen, over and over, it was exhausting after a while, so I let Emma and friends in to take care of her. I can’t believe Emma missed that shot,” she chuckled. “She never misses a shot, but I guess nerves got the best of her. The rest of you could have been killed as well, but too many great minds to waste. Emma has soft spot for you Garcia, and Carol would flip if she knew her daughter was killed. So, really only Denise was expendable and the larger threat for me.”

“I should kill you just for saying that,” Wyatt whispered.

“Come on, Wyatt. I heard you got the job as the leader, so why are you complaining? As your wife, the increase in salary will be great. I barely had enough to get my nails done before! We had to fake being poor growing up, looking like we came from nothing, keeping a low profile. Then I met you and we really had nothing. An army salary is just not enough and as a gesture of goodwill and to prove what Rittenhouse can help with, I did tell some of my friends a bit higher up to work on that for all of our soldiers.”

“Enough, Jessica,” Flynn said. “You stole data, ok. You let in Emma, fine. But what was the code for?”

“Ah, you saw that! I wondered if Wyatt ever noticed anything about me. I passed the codes through books for years and Wyatt never noticed. Once I got here, I got really creative to see if he would even pay attention to the books I left around. It was kind of a game,” she apologized to Flynn. “He never did. I am sure he could tell you what Lucy’s shoe size is and how many times she stirs her tea in the morning, but not books left in his own room. Don’t look sad, Wyatt. We had good times, lots of fun here and there, and I guess our wedding was ok as it could be. The bedroom was always fun, right?” She winked at him.

Wyatt felt anger like he hadn’t felt in years. Jessica had been lying to him about every moment since they met and she just mocked him like none of it mattered. 

“The code, Jessica,” Flynn reminded her. Wyatt looked at Flynn and saw him nod to him, Flynn knew how this was affecting him and was helping him to refocus.

“That’s another secret, Mr. Flynn. Now, how about you two let me go and I won’t have my friends outside kill you.”

“What friends?”

“Do you think I haven’t been talking to them this whole time? Do you think there isn’t an army of Rittenhouse members just dying to get in here and kill everyone? They will start with you and Flynn to get you out of the way quick, less resistance if the two best fighters are gone. The rest, we will see who wants to help us and who is willing to die for the cause. I am sure Lucy will join her mother to keep that baby safe. Don’t you understand, Wyatt, Lucy is royalty at Rittenhouse. She is the product of the best families and the best upbringing, she is a princess. While I might hate her and that bastard baby, now that Carol knows, she said it’s the future and is willing to take out everyone to get to them.”

“Why didn’t you tell Carol about the baby before now? I heard Emma talk about how she didn’t know Lucy was pregnant.” Flynn asked.

“Because I had kind of hoped that once I got all the data that we needed, I could just blow all of you up and be done with this nasty place. If Carol knew about the baby, she wouldn’t let Lucy get hurt, so I had hoped to do it all before anyone found out. But, once Wyatt came back from that mission acting different a couple days ago, I knew it was time to bring Emma in and get Denise out of the way. I could slowly work on the rest of you if Denise wasn’t watching, but then I remembered the reason we kept the rest of the team alive was because they were smart…smart enough to figure out what Denise had seen. My time here was up. And Carol is so excited by the way. I got a personal message from her asking more questions about how far Lucy is and a boy or girl. Gag.” 

“I don’t want Carol around this baby.”

“What you want is no longer an option, Wyatt. This is how it is and you need to accept that Lucy will join her mother at Rittenhouse – or the baby will die.”

“You will not touch my baby,” Wyatt spat. “I will kill you before I let that happen.”

“Alright, I am done with this conversation and petty threats,” Jessica took some lipstick out of her purse and a mirror. She spoke as she applied it, “Wyatt, I have a device in my purse. I walk out that door or you all blow up with me. If I get hurt, it can remote detonate and I have a chip that sends my vitals to a tracking station in the headquarters. When they see my heartbeat stop, the device will go off. If I am dead, I don’t care of Lucy and this whole crew goes with me.” Wyatt realized she still didn’t know that the Lifeboat was gone.

“So we let you go, and no one here gets hurt?” Wyatt asked.

Jessica considered. “Today.” 

“What?” 

“You said, ‘no one here gets hurt’, but I will only promise today. Tomorrow, well, who knows?”

“Fine then, we will walk you out. Flynn, please take Jessica to the door, I will get her suitcase. Jessica, I assume someone will pick you up or do you need a ride?” His voice dripped with anger.

“I would be happy to drive her somewhere if needed, Wyatt,” Flynn offered. Wyatt knew he would kill her the minute they got far enough away from the bunker.

“I have a ride waiting. Remember, this place isn’t a secret to Rittenhouse. We LET you stay here without bothering you because it keeps you close to us. At any time since you brought me here, we could have killed you all,” Jessica taunted them again as she walked to the door with her purse. “Be careful with my bag Wyatt, you never know what is in there.”

“I don’t doubt it, Jessica. Now get the hell out of here.” Flynn let Jessica walk out the door, his gun still held in his hand, ready to shoot if provoked. Wyatt grabbed Jessica’s iPad from the table and slipped it into her suitcase. She had always complained when he left his guns and equipment in the room, so there wasn’t anything else he could plant without leaving the room and causing suspicion. The iPad might be an overly simply thing to track, but Wyatt hoped it would at least give them a start in the right direction. He followed closely behind and waited while Jessica opened the main bunker door, clearly entering the code although Wyatt didn’t know how she could have figured it out so quickly.

“Don’t look surprised, Wyatt. Codes are kind of my thing and really not that hard to break once you get to know the people who create it.”

Wyatt pushed the suitcase over to her and lifted his gun to her eye level, “Jessica, once you walk out that door, you are my enemy and I will fight you with everything I have, but I have to know: was everything: our life, our marriage, all just a show?”

“Wyatt, I would like to think that in another time it wouldn’t have been fake, that I could have loved you. And maybe I did love you just a little, but Rittenhouse has given me more then you ever would or could. I love that life and I love what they stand for, more then I could ever love you. You were an assignment, one I was prepared for since I was a kid. At one time, I thought maybe you could have joined me, but as soon as you got called for this mission and met her, I knew it was over and any chance was gone. Where is Lucy, by the way? I wouldn’t mind saying goodbye, or ‘I’ll see you soon’ at least.” Jessica teased. 

“Lucy is not your concern and I am tempted to kill you just for saying her name.” Flynn said coolly. “Wyatt, it is time that Jessica leaves.”

As much as her words had hurt Wyatt, he knew his Jessica had been gone since she died in the original timeline. “I agree, Flynn. Jessica, get out.”

She laughed as she gave a deep mock curtsey, then took her suitcase handle and walked out the door, not even looking behind her as the door slammed. Flynn quickly yelled for Connor Mason and they changed the code while Wyatt stood, gun still in his hand, and tried to process everything that just happened.


	17. Time to Explode

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wyatt has to sort out Jessica's revelations and prepare for the team to put the next part of the plan into action. Unfortunately, he doesn't have much time before the situation explodes...

The code was changed and Flynn and Connor divided the rooms to begin looking for bugs, bombs, anything that could hurt the team. Wyatt forced himself to look over his room, checking in every corner, in all the places that something could have been hidden. He swept carefully, using all of his training and tried to clear his mind. After going over the same spot three times, Wyatt sat on the bed and put his head in his hands.

He didn’t know how he was feeling. In his original timeline, Jessica had died and his Jessica had never returned. This person who had wormed her way into the bunker was no one he knew. When they got back from Hollywood and she texted him, he should have been on higher alert, but he was so overjoyed to see her, he let all the minor details about her slip by him. He felt some comfort knowing that at least in his timeline, the love he had for Jessica had been real and she loved him as well, he felt sick when he admitted that he was grateful that the real Jessica had died. 

“Wyatt, I shouldn’t have had you search this room, you are too close to it and could miss something. I will look here, you move on to the kitchen,” Flynn ordered from the doorway.

“I need a minute.”

“We don’t have the luxury of minutes, Logan. Due to Jessica’s revelations, we have to search everywhere. Once they realize Lucy and Jiya are gone, there is nothing stopping them from blowing up the whole bunker, so get off your ass and help me.”

“Dammit, Flynn! Just give me a minute,” Wyatt exploded.

Flynn got in his face, “We have all lost people Wyatt, through death or betrayal. Don’t give Rittenhouse the chance for us to lose more. If they blow this place up, we lose the time machine and we lose Lucy, Jiya, the baby, and everything else important. I said, get off your ass and move!” 

Wyatt reached his arm up to punch Flynn, who didn’t flinch, and then slowly lowered it. “Alright. I will look in the other rooms, have Mason grab everything he can and put it by the main door. We are leaving as soon as Rufus gets back.”

“I can’t exactly walk out of here, Wyatt.”

“I know, we are going to have Connor take a car with some of the necessities. You, Rufus, and I will load the time machine with whatever electronic items we need to continue searching and hop to another location.”

“Where can we go? You know what, don’t tell me. I will go pack.”

Wyatt nodded and quickly filled a duffel bag with what he would need for a few days. As he walked to Lucy’s room, he saw Connor and Flynn both packing in their rooms, trying to decide what they could leave behind. Wyatt quickly walked into the room and gathered a few other possessions Lucy might want, putting them in a tote bag that had a quote from Mark Twain on it. He paused to look at the box containing the crib and touched it gently. There would be time to get this ready, he told himself, there had to be.

Picking up the bags, he headed back to the hangar where all of their computers and weapons were. The bag pile grew as Flynn and Mason deposited their items in the room and the men set to gathering all the weapons they could. Everything was being packed when they heard the familiar beep announcing the return of the Lifeboat. 

As soon as it appeared, Connor and Flynn began disconnecting all the laptops, readying them for another journey as soon as possible. Wyatt brought the steps to Rufus as he exited, looking exhausted.

“How did it go?” Wyatt questioned.

“Fine, actually. We landed a little ways outside of Chicago in 1927 on a beach just north of the city. Lots of trees and water, I hate to say it, but it was pretty enough I considered staying.” Wyatt smiled, so Lucy got her beach.

“Did they tell you where they were headed from there?” 

“No, Jiya said we would know soon, but that on October 15th, two weeks from today, her and Lucy would be in that same spot waiting. They borrowed a car from someone, loaded up their bags and were gone. To be honest, I expected something to happen, but it was really simple and they seemed prepared enough that once I couldn’t see the car any longer, I left.” He shrugged, looking at Wyatt for assurance which Wyatt didn't feel, but he smiled at Rufus anyway to hopefully calm him down. He didn’t feel right with Lucy being so far away from him, but they had too much to do to think about it right now.

“We need to fill you in on Jessica,” Wyatt started and told Rufus the story. Rufus reacted relatively well, and once he had stopped yelling about the whole situation, he rushed to his and Jiya’s room to pack their things. By then, the computers were disassembled and Mason started to hand them in to Flynn who packed it all as tightly as he could.

“We are barely leaving room for us to sit, but we should be able to bring most of this with us.” 

“Good,” Wyatt stated. “Once the Lifeboat is ready again, we will load the car outside with the things that are not vital to travel with. Mason, you take the car and go home.”

“I am sorry, what?” Connor started. “Just like that, I am dismissed?”

“No, we need you here while we hide out for a day, tops. I am going to have you help scope out other locations for the Lifeboat to come back to. We need to be back in the city because that is where Rittenhouse is, but we are sitting ducks in the bunker.” Connor wasn’t pleased but agreed. He began walking bags to the main door to prepare for them to be taken out to the car. 

Rufus ran into the room with his bag and put it in the Lifeboat. “We aren’t doing a time jump, just a location jump, so we could potentially be ready at any minute. If Jessica’s threats about blowing this place up are true, I want out of here soon.” Wyatt looked around him at the comment as though the place could blow at any moment, and thought about how confident he had acted with Director Hanes that the bunker was safe. Jessica had ruined that for him as well. 

“Agree, Flynn, walk with me to the door, let’s get Mason on the road.”

They cautiously opened the main door and Wyatt checked for the car in the back of the building, it was where he had left it. He started it, praying it would work and when the engine roared to life, he heard a tick. In the second before the explosion, he thought of the baby, then he felt his arm pull.

Fortunately, he hadn’t brought his body fully into the car, so when Flynn yanked his arm, he was able to escape the worst of the flames. The car had started with a small bomb on the passenger side and as Wyatt and Flynn lay on the ground nearby, the main compartment exploded. Wyatt groaned and held his side, shielding his face from the fire. His right arm and part of his leg were burned and he felt like they were on fire, but a quick test showed that both of the appendages still worked.

“Flynn, you alright?” 

“Unfortunately, but I almost wish I were dead. My hand is burned and hurts like hell.”

“Thank you, again, for the hundredth time.”

“Are you guys ok?” Rufus and Mason had arrived and were dragging them back into the hangar. As they got in the hallway, Wyatt heard the unmistakable ping of a bullet. 

“Everyone down, get that door shut!” Wyatt screamed as Rufus slammed the door and more pings were heard.

“Was that bullets?” Connor gasped. 

“Yes, change of plan. We all jump locations together. Take the computers, and weapons. Only what we need.” Everyone ran to the hangar and began pulling out bags, then throwing random items back in as they decided what was vital for the next days. Wyatt’s body ached and burned, prompting him to run to the first aid kit and throw that into the Lifeboat.

Rufus sat in the pilot’s chair and yelled, “Guys get seated, we need to get out of here, I have a bad feeling.” Wyatt and Flynn got in their seats and put bags on their laps or wherever else they would fit to make sure they were taking as many supplies possible.

“Boys,” a singsong voice was heard from a distance. “I saw you outside for the fireworks.” Emma. "I know sweet Jessica promised you that you would be safe today, but I changed her mind. Why dont you come out and we can talk."

“Rufus, I am shutting the door,” Mason frantically started pushing buttons. 

“Wyatt, where are we going?” Rufus demanded.

“Texas. There is a place that my grandpa used to take me camping all the time. It’s a place in the hills where we can hide the machine for a day or two. Land outside of Austin and I will get us there.” Rufus entered the coordinates and Wyatt felt the pull of the machine as it disappeared from the hangar.


	18. Time for a Walk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is able to have one night of rest before heading back to fight. They all need the rest and it is a chance to talk.

“Everyone ok?” Wyatt asked as the Lifeboat landed. 

“This has been the easiest part of the week, Wyatt.” Rufus scoffed. 

Wyatt ignored his comment and continued. “This campground is just outside of Austin in Georgetown on the lake. When I went there as a kid, we did the rustic style of camping, but I saw people with pop up campers and nicer trailers, so we can count on running water and bathrooms.”

“Great, I can’t wait,” Connor complained. 

Flynn was uncharacteristically quiet and Wyatt noticed his face was pale. “My hand, it’s still burning,” he said quietly. Wyatt noticed that his skin had been peeled away from the flames and he was cradling it in his other arm. His eyes got wide, this burn was bad. Wyatt’s jeans and jacket had prevented most of the fire from hurting him, he felt some minor burns, but nothing like this.

“First thing, we get Flynn taken care of,” Wyatt said. “Rufus and Connor, use the First Aid kit and do what you can. I am going to find us shelter and see what we need to do to hide the machine.” He hopped out of the Lifeboat and checked the surroundings. 

Rufus had landed them in a good spot, just at the edge of woods and Wyatt could see the lake to his right. To his left, there was a cabin that was empty and Wyatt walked to check it out. As he looked around, he realized that it was now October and that is the official end of camping season in Texas, so the campground would mostly be empty, but water wouldn’t be turned off to the more remote sites for a while. He checked the inside of the cabin and saw there were two beds and a small sink. Not much, but enough for the night while they got settled. 

When he stepped out of the cabin, he heard a bird and looked up, noticing wires and was happy to realize that meant there would be electricity. They could stay warm by a fire, but using the computers and charging phones would allow them to continue working. As if he wished it, he felt his pocket buzz and saw it was a call from Michelle.

“Hello?” 

“Wyatt? This is Michelle,” she started.

“Are you ok? Is Denise ok?” He panicked.

“Yes, we are fine. There are a couple agents who have been assigned to her room and are always outside the door. It makes me feel a little better, but she isn’t happy. Denise has woken up and is slowly starting to ask questions and I don’t really know what to tell her.”

“Don’t tell her anything, Michelle. Just that we are safe for now.”

“Thank you, Wyatt, that is all I need to know and all she needs to hear,” she paused. “One more thing, the kids came today and brought a strange letter addressed to me. I opened it and inside were two envelopes, one with your name and one with Rufus’s name. What should I do with them?” 

“Nothing yet,” Wyatt said regretfully. “Let me talk to Rufus first and then we can decide together what to do. But please put them away somewhere that no one can find them.”

“I’ll keep them in my planner,” she laughed. “That is a disaster enough that it would take hours to sift through. Thank you, Wyatt, we will talk soon.”

“Tell Agent Christopher we are thinking of her,” Wyatt said as Michelle disconnected. 

He knew the letters were from Lucy and Jiya, somehow they had gotten letters from 1927 to them in 2018 and as much as Wyatt wanted to read what Lucy wrote him, he wanted to get Flynn settled first. Flynn being sick could impact the team and Wyatt needed him at his side during the next couple weeks.

“Come on, guys, we have a cabin and can let everyone rest. Connor, there is electricity around here, we just have to find an outlet. Rufus, can you get some of the bags out and start to hide the ship? I will get Flynn to the cabin,” Wyatt gave the orders and everyone started their jobs. He started to worry when he almost had to carry Flynn to the cabin since he was getting weaker with every minute.

“Almost there,” Wyatt encouraged.

“Don’t tell me we are friends now, Logan. I am not dying, just a little hurt,” Flynn retorted.

“I would never assume, Flynn. Just let me help you, though. We all need you as healthy as possible.”

Flynn grunted as Wyatt got him in the door and dropped him on the bed. He looked relived to be laying down and his arm was outstretched, waiting for Wyatt to look it over. Wyatt had seen a lot of burns and this one looked bad. Rufus and Connor had cleaned it a little, but there was still a lot of dark spots where the skin had burned and been peeled back. Wyatt got the first aid kit and luckily there was some burn salve in it, which Wyatt applied and then wrapped the hand in gauze. There looked to be enough salve for one more application, then they would need more, so Wyatt added it to his mental list of supplies that were needed. Grabbing a cup from a cabinet in the cabin, he turned the water on, relieved when it came pouring out clear. The cabin must have been used recently before the season ended so there wasn’t too much build up in the pipes yet. 

Wyatt brought the water and a couple ibuprofen tablets from the first aid kit to Flynn. “You need to take these to help with the pain. Once Connor and Rufus are done with the Lifeboat, I am going to get us some more supplies.” Flynn was already nodding asleep, so Wyatt left him to check on the other guys.

Connor had found an outlet behind the cabin and had plugged in one of the desktop computers and a monitor. He sat on the grass outside the cabin, looking miserable until he got the first ping of the computer telling him it was powering up. Wyatt then looked at Rufus who was pulling branches over the Lifeboat. It wouldn’t do too much to hide it, but even a little camouflage would be helpful.

“Rufus, I am going to put a gun in the cabin in case Flynn needs it and I’ll grab one of the bags. We need to go hunting for supplies.”

“Wyatt, you know I don’t do hunting,” Rufus cautioned.

“Not ‘hunting’, hunting, more like ‘searching’. There has to be an office for the campground or a mini store around here, let’s find it and get what we need.”

“That I can do,” Rufus threw a couple more pine tree branches on top of the Lifeboat, shut the door, and they headed down the road.

“What do you think the girls are doing?” Rufus asked. Wyatt told Rufus about the letters that Michelle had received.

“Do you think we should have her open them, Wyatt?”

“I don’t want to know yet,” Wyatt said after a minute. “I mean, if we received them, they must be ok and if we learn too much about where they are, it could end up in Rittenhouse’s hands. Also, this might not sound too good, but I need to make some sort of advance or else I will feel like I failed. If Lucy is putting her faith in me, I want to be able to tell Lucy that I did something right, which I haven’t done anything right in a long time. Just once, I want to be a hero again.” Wyatt admitted.

“You don’t think you are a hero?” Rufus questioned. 

“Not lately. Everything I do gets messed up. I tried to keep Lucy safe and she got kidnapped by her mother and who knows what they did to her in there. When we got her back, things were starting to be normal and Jessica shows up. I thought I was doing the right thing by bringing Jessica to the bunker, but it turns out I was being played the whole time. I made mistake after mistake because my decisions have all been selfish ones that would serve me best – not anyone else, just me. I didn’t do it on purpose, but all of these decisions have been wrong. Now, I am going to be a father and I need to stop making everything worse and focus on this one mission, our one chance that will make everything better again. I need to prove to Lucy and everyone that I can be that guy again.”

“Wyatt, I know you are used to being the guy who saves the day, but it’s not just on you anymore. All of us have to work together to stop Rittenhouse, we have to be a team. Teams don’t usually have individual heroes because they each have things that make them special.”

“If that’s true, then I shouldn’t even be here. There is nothing special about me,” Wyatt hung his head.

“That is not true, Wyatt. You are brave and strong. You do defend us and keep us safe, but that is only a part of it. You know strategy, how to blend in, and you are a pretty decent race car driver.”

“Those are all things that Flynn could offer,” Wyatt interrupted. 

“You didn’t let me finish,” Rufus said. “Lucy said it a while ago and it was true then as much as it is true now; when it comes to these missions, you make the right choice – every time. I never doubt you and Lucy has never doubted you. Flynn kills without question or empathy, which can be helpful sometimes, but not the guy I want in the field with me every day.” Wyatt nodded, not ready to accept that he would be worthy of the words Rufus had said, but hoping half of what he said was true. 

“Thank you, Rufus.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, dude. Your decisions in your personal life suck. Like, psycho wife, gorgeous baby mama, angst all over the place. You are like a bad soap opera right now, but I think that will change and you will figure it out. Or at least I hope so, for my goddaughter’s sake.” Wyatt groaned and just shook his head. 

“Uh, thanks for that little fun pep talk,” Wyatt laughed. He saw the main office for the campground up ahead and his phone pinged. “Wow, camping has certainly upgraded. This campground has Wi-Fi.”

They walked around the office, checking for cars and people moving around. It seemed deserted for the day, so Wyatt picked the door lock and they walked in. Wyatt quickly went to the first aid section of the little camping store and took all the Band-Aid’s, gauze, and burn related items he could find, leaving one or two so that the workers wouldn’t notice anything was gone right away. He also grabbed some more ibuprofen and an ice pack. Rufus was busy cleaning out some of the food shelves. 

“Should I get some marshmallows? We can make s’mores?” He joked.

“Hard pass,” Wyatt laughed. “But we do need some fire starters and see if they have any rope or cords. I am getting some water tablets and toothbrushes, deodorant, type things. They even have blankets here. When did camping become so accommodating and fancy?” He wondered.

“I think it’s called ‘glamping,’” Rufus laughed. “We should have what we need, let’s head back.”

As they walked back, Wyatt told Rufus that he planned to locate Jessica’s iPad as soon as they were back in California. “We need to be close enough to get there quickly. Once it’s located, we have thirty minutes tops. Assuming she hasn’t turned off that function, which I am doubtful she did. A lot of what she was could have been an act, but she was often annoyed by phone settings and ignored them until I updated them. If that is the same, we should have one chance. I know this is a lot shot using common technology that anyone could figure out, but it might be all we have.”

“It’s a start,” Rufus agreed. “We can also go to Dallas and find out if there is anything on that issue.”

“Dallas seems to be something that impacts only me and was a way for Jessica to taunt me and keep me close to her. If that is truly the case, then I don’t want to think about it yet. Rittenhouse comes first, then we work on Dallas. I would go to jail for the rest of my life if it meant Rittenhouse was gone and you were all safe.”

“You need to stop that, Wyatt. You aren’t going to jail and you aren’t expendable like that.”

Wyatt just shrugged and kept walking. When they got back to the cabin, they checked on Connor and Flynn. Once Connor heard about the Wi-Fi, he wanted to walk to the main office again and Wyatt promised to take him there later in the evening. Flynn was still sleeping and Wyatt wasn’t sure if it was an infection starting in his hand or if it was pure exhaustion from the past few days. Sensing that he had a few minutes, Wyatt grabbed a towel and headed to the lake to clean up. He still had soot all over him and his clothes were burned in places from the car explosion. The water was freezing, but it was worth it to get clean. 

After he was finished, he started a fire by the cabin, keeping it low so the smoke wouldn’t be too visible and Rufus walked Connor back to the office. After about an hour, Wyatt heard Flynn wake up and he slowly shuffled out to the fire. Flynn sat against a tree without a sound and closed his eyes again.

“My hand hurts like hell,” he said.

“I know, I put the bandages on and it was pretty bad. I got some more gauze and ointment so I can wrap it again. There are some pain killers on the table in there.”

“Yeah, I just took 4. Let’s hope they work,” Flynn said. “So what are we doing here?”

“We are hiding just a day or so until we can all be rested and healthy again. This campground is closed for the season so we should mostly be alone. Tonight we can take turns sleeping, then tomorrow, we pack up and head back to California. Once there and ready, I trace Jessica’s iPad, we go to where it is and just observe to get some detail about who is coming and going. We can try to get some help from Director Hanes if we need to. Go in and break things up in there.”

“That sounds incredibly simple.”

“Sometimes, the best plans are the easiest ones?” Wyatt offered. He agreed it sounded way too easy, even when he was putting the plan together. But it was what they had to work with. So far, all they had been doing was following Rittenhouse, always one step behind. Even with some of the greatest technology available at their fingertips, they still couldn’t figure out a way to get ahead. If nothing advanced was helping, maybe it was time to take a step back and keep it simple. Jessica might be their way in, but the only way to track her was with the devices she left with.

“Do you really think you can trust Director Hanes?”

“Well, clearly my intuition hasn’t been the greatest, but I think so.”

“Wyatt, any one of us would have done what you did. Maybe not bring Jessica to the bunker, but we would have chosen to believe that she was the same person you loved all those years ago. If I saw my wife today, not even God could convince me she was anything less than perfect and I would go to hell to defend her. Your intuition was blinded by your faith in her; that is not bad, but admirable.”

“I appreciate that, but bringing her into our team, our family, could have killed all of us.”

“You didn’t know,” Flynn said simply. 

“But that is what is killing me,” Wyatt admitted. “I did. I knew something was off, but I just ignored it.”

“In what timeline? In ours that we left when we went to New York a week ago or this one? Wyatt, this is a mess and we can’t do anything but move forward now. So don’t beat yourself up, it’s exhausting to listen to and you need to save that energy for fighting Jessica, because you will have to fight her one day. Will you be ready?”

Wyatt turned away and looked at the sun setting on the lake. He hoped he would be ready, but still wasn’t sure. As he watched the lake turn gold in the sun, he let his mind clear and just be at peace for a moment. Berating himself mentally had been exhausting and he needed to stop.

Rufus and Connor came back with news that the Mothership had jumped to Chicago in 1927 about two hours after they landed in Austin, but hadn’t stayed long enough to execute a real search – if that is what they were doing there. Rufus had said where they landed was on the water outside of Chicago and from there, they had gotten a car, so their actual location could be anywhere in the United States and if they were good at hiding, it could take years to find them. Wyatt worried, but something told him Lucy was still fine and that he hoped that was his instinct kicking into gear again.

Wyatt wrapped Flynn’s hand again then told him and Rufus each took the first shift to sleep. It was cold at night, but not unbearable sitting by the camp fire with a blanket. He saw Connor shivering a little and told him to go inside, but he refused. At about 3am, Rufus woke up and came out to the fire as he told Wyatt to rest. Connor had been sleeping on and off all night, not used to the late night stake outs and staying awake, so Wyatt left Rufus outside with him and went in to drop in the other bed, falling asleep immediately. 

When he woke up, he found himself alone in the cabin. Outside he heard some light laughter and a quick glance told him that the other men were cooking something. 

“What’s for breakfast?” He grumbled as he joined them.

“Last night I went back to the office and got the marshmallows. It’s not the greatest breakfast, but it is what we have. Oh, and some beef jerky.”

“Better than nothing, I guess.” 

“While Rufus scavenged the store, I did some research and I have found a place for the Lifeboat to hide. When I first got started, I bought up a city blocks worth of warehouses,” Connor started.

“We can’t go to one of those, I am sure they are being watched,” Wyatt protested.

“Yes, those probably are, by Rittenhouse and the government. But, I wasn’t finished; there was another building that I purchased for research and design implementation. It was large enough for a lot of desks and yet not so big that anyone would think about it. I used a dummy corporation that might have been slightly nefarious, but those are old years and I checked, it hasn’t been used by my company in months, so it would be vacant by now. I haven't thought about it in ages.”

“What does that mean?” Rufus asked. “What was this building used for?”

“I had a group of ladies who would research and create some of the lovely costumes you all used to wear before the entire Mason Industries building was blown up.”

“Connor, did you run a sweat shop?” Wyatt asked incredulously. “Is that why it is under a dummy company so they couldn’t link you to it?” Flynn howled with laughter as Connor looked offended.  


“It was not, I paid those women very well to make those clothes!” He exclaimed, then huffed. “Regardless, it is empty and most likely wouldn’t be traced back to me. If it is, it would be looked over as an empty unused pile of bricks.” 

Wyatt and Rufus stared at each other, both mentally deciding if they should stay here or use the building and location won out. “Fine, Connor, we will use the building. But, after this is over, you need to rethink your business ethics.”

“Says the man who married a spy from an elite criminal organization and brought her into secure government space to threaten the mother of his child. Yes, I’ll take some moral direction from you.”

Rufus joined Flynn in laughter and after a shocked few seconds, Wyatt and Connor also were cracking up along with them. When it subsided, Wyatt said, “So, we move the Lifeboat to the new building. Flynn, how is your hand?”

“Not great, but better,” he offered. 

“Good, lets pack and get out of here before anyone comes looking for us. We at least can get to a busier area where we can blend in and have some better electricity.” As silly as the laughter was, it lightened everyone’s mood and Wyatt looked at the group of men around the campfire, all assembled to fight Rittenhouse together and he was proud of this team. 

The group agreed and put out the fire, then helped each other clean off and load up the Lifeboat. As the door closed, Wyatt looked at the lake again and thought about taking his daughter camping here one day, wondering if her mom would want to go too and the thought made him smile. He was ready to fight now, he just hoped Rittenhouse knew what was coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter was long, but I thought Wyatt needed some time with his friends to just take a breath. Most of this story is him coming to terms with his failings lately and his friends being there to lift him up, even when he doesn't know that he needs it. More exciting stuff to come, but all four of the guys needed this break.


	19. Time to Move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wyatt and team head back to California, ready to see where Jessica has been hiding which will hopefully bring them closer to Rittenhouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, I am sorry for such a long delay. I get really bad migraines and heat is my biggest trigger, so August is a month spent in and out of the doctors and just trying to stay well. Fortunately, I am getting back to day to day life and appreciate so so much all of you who reached out or commented asking for more chapters. While I have been sick, the stories have been forming in my mind so I should be back to regular posts. This chapter is a little monotonous as Wyatt gets back into fight mode.

When they opened the Lifeboat door, everything was dark. Wyatt cautiously stepped out of the Lifeboat and held his gun more tightly as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He listened for any sound that would indicate someone else was here and he only heard the clacking of the Lifeboats motors as it wound down. Once there was total silence, he closed his eyes for a second and turned his head towards a skittering noise. When he ran forward, all he saw was a mouse scurry away towards a hallway. 

“I think we are clear,” he cautioned. “But don’t get too comfortable. I figure that if Jiya could pinpoint the Mothership within a few blocks, they might be able to do the same, so we need to get ready quickly and ping the iPad. Flynn, are you feeling well enough to help?”

“Yes, but I am not certain about going out in daylight, so if we can wait for dark, it will give me a better chance not to be noticed. In case you have forgotten, I am still considered a wanted terrorist.”  


“Don’t worry, none of us have forgotten that,” Rufus remarked dryly as he hauled a couple bags out of the Lifeboat. “There are a couple desks here, Connor help me pull them over to the outlet so we can plug in these computers. It will help keep on top of Wyatt and Flynn when they leave.” 

“You mean you aren’t going?” Wyatt laughed. Rufus typically didn't like to fight. When he gave him a stare, Wyatt put his hands up. “Just kidding, Rufus. We need you here, not only to keep an eye on our progress and help us track any movement, but if you are found, you need to get the Lifeboat out of here. Got it? Just drop everything and go. Flynn and I will lay low and keep in touch as much as possible until we can get back together somewhere.”

“So we just leave you here? I don’t like that at all,” Rufus said.

“Yes, you and Connor keep this ship safe, it is the only way to get Lucy and Jiya back. We can’t save them without it and if we lose this ship, our chances of getting rid of Rittenhouse is gone.” Wyatt wasn’t sure Rufus would follow this direction but he hoped that knowing the only way to save Jiya from time was the Lifeboat, he would make that his priority. “We have a few hours before dark, I am going to get us some food that doesn’t include marshmallows or beef jerky. Flynn, you rest, Connor, help Rufus. I’ll be back and we can get ready.”

Wyatt turned and followed the dark hallway, hoping it led to the outdoors. He needed a few minutes to think and settle his mind as the anxiety was finally setting in. He needed Lucy here, she always kept him calm and had ideas that complimented his own. He let his mind wander as he thought of Lucy’s smile and her frantic clumsiness which would probably have tripped them both in this darkness. He felt his heart rate slow down as he remembered some of their greatest moments, almost like a meditation where Lucy was his center. Absently, he roamed the hallway, searching for a way out and when he finally came to a dead-end, he saw a handle and hoped that it was going somewhere outside. As he turned the nob, the lock held strong, so he kicked the door open and was almost blinded by the hot California sun. 

Wyatt looked around and saw that he was in an alley that led on each side to a busy street. Wyatt started by walking around the building to find any weak points they could be attacked from if Rittenhouse found their location. The building was solid brick and had very little that made it stand out from the other buildings that surrounded it. The door he went out was the only exit on that side of the building and in the back there was another exit with a large cargo garage door next to it. The third wall was solid brick, and finally there was one door in the front of the building facing a street that had a pleasant looking entryway and lobby. Wyatt tried the handle and it was also locked, but a peek inside the glass window told him it had been deserted for a while. 

Knowing the building was solid and safe for the moment, Wyatt stood by the front door as he watched a couple cars drive by. He called Rufus and told him about the layout of the building and that Flynn should walk the inside to make sure all were secure. Then he walked in the direction most of the traffic seemed to be headed and was greeted by the smell of Chinese food. He glanced around before he ducked into a restaurant where he ordered one of each meal, paid with the cash Director Hanes had provided, then walked the short distance back to Mason’s building. He called Rufus again to let him in the back and made sure he wasn’t being observed before stepping inside.

In the large room that the Lifeboat had landed, Rufus and Connor had two computers up and running, while Flynn was standing over the weapons they had. He had found a couple of bullet proof vests and had already put one on along with a gun on each of his hips in holsters. He smirked at Wyatt as he leaned over to place a knife in a holder strapped to his leg. Part of Wyatt still wanted to flinch at the thought of this man holding so many weapons after the dozens of times he had tried to kill him, but he pushed that thought down and set out the food. 

As the hungry men started to eat, Wyatt got himself ready, trying to mentally prepare for what was about to happen that night. He was going to see Jessica again; he hadn’t really had time to process all the things she had said and done, but he still was going to have to confront her. Wyatt wanted to say it didn’t hurt him, but Jessica’s lies had cut him deeply. All the years that he spent loving her memory and wishing she were alive, only to have her come back as someone he didn’t know only made it worse. He felt tears prick the backs of his eyes as he thought about what a mess he had made of everyone’s lives by bringing Jessica into the bunker. He took a deep breath to clear his head as his phone beeped.

Everyone in the room jumped at the noise and he took out his phone. There was a text message from Michelle. “Denise is getting better, but she said she needs to talk to you soon. I received two more envelopes. What should I do?”  
Wyatt read the message out loud and waited for Rufus to decide. 

“I want to know what Jiya wrote to me, but just getting these tells me she is alive and I don’t need anything else right now.” 

Wyatt nodded, “I agree. I am afraid if I learn too much it will be distracting. I’ll let Michelle know to keep them safe and we will reach out soon.”

“How much longer, Logan?” Flynn asked.

“I say that we get a car and once we are on the road, we start the search for her iPad. Even if she isn’t at their new headquarters, we can follow her to see where she ends up.”

“Ok, guys,” Rufus almost whispered. “This is it. No pressure but this is our big chance, don’t blow it.”

“I know what I am fighting for Rufus, this time, I won’t fail,” Wyatt said more confidently then he felt.

“We won’t fail,” Flynn corrected. He nodded to Rufus and Connor and walked towards the hallway leading to the door.

“Rufus, keep an eye on us however you can. As soon as we leave, put everything but what you absolutely have to use in the Lifeboat and be ready to run. If you hear a noise, any noise, leave. Take the Lifeboat and jump back to Texas, the go to Vancouver. It’s got a lot of woods and nice areas we can hide out. A buddy of mine moved there after the war and I visited him once to go hiking. If Flynn and I get into trouble, stay close to Vancouver and I will find you.” Rufus didn’t answer, just shook his head.

“You got this, Wyatt. Give them hell.”

Wyatt clapped him on the shoulder and walked to join Flynn. As they crept into the alley, they stayed silent, using hand signals for their movements. Flynn got to the street and saw a car that was low key enough to not be noticed and old enough that it would be easier to steal. Wyatt had some experience stealing cars as well, thanks to his youth in Texas, but let Flynn take the lead. As Flynn hopped in the driver’s seat, Wyatt sat in the passenger seat and took out his phone. 

Flynn kept his eyes on the road as he maneuvered away from Mason’s building and found an empty parking lot a couple miles away. Wyatt clicked the settings button, then took a breath as he selected, “Find my iPad.” After a couple seconds, a map popped up. 

“What the hell?” He held the map to show Flynn. “Drive fast, she’s at Agent Christopher’s house.” His stomach rolled as Flynn hit the gas and tore off through the streets.


	20. Time to Say Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wyatt and Flynn head to Agent Christopher's house where they have to face Jessica

“Are you going to call Michelle?” Flynn questioned.

“No,” Wyatt responded quickly. “If this is some type of set up, it could worry her for nothing. But if Jessica is at their house and Michelle isn’t there, I don’t want her coming home. I also don’t want Jessica to know we are coming, we need surprise on our side.”

“Is there anyone else we can call? That Director Hanes you mentioned?”

“Let’s wait and see what we are up against,” Wyatt said as Flynn pulled into the subdivision of perfect lawns and large houses. It was the kind of neighborhood he would have loved to grow up in, but his childhood had been through too many challenges after losing his mom. He wasn’t going to let Agent Christopher’s kids get hurt or be without either of their moms.

“Flynn, pull over, let me drive. I want you to get out and walk to the house so she can’t see you. I am going to pull up in the driveway like it is a regular thing.”

“You just want to knock on the door? ‘Hey Jessica, lets hang out?’” Flynn retorted.

“Yes,” Wyatt bit back. “If Mark and Olivia are in there, I can at least try to distract her enough to get them out. That is all that matters tonight is making sure those kids are taken care of. Got it?”

Flynn gave a mock salute as he pulled the car over and got out. Wyatt quickly switched seats and by the time he put the car into drive, Flynn had merged into the shadows. 

Wyatt slowly pulled the car into the driveway, turning his phone off and stowing it in his pocket. He saw two cars in front of the house, but neither looked suspicious. He walked to the front door, palm itching to get his gun, but trying to keep his heart steady. The shades were drawn and only fluttered slightly when he knocked. Someone was coming.

“Wyatt, what a surprise,” Michelle whispered. “You are a sight for sore eyes, but we are a little busy getting ready to bring Denise home soon. Do you think you could come back tomorrow?” She stood in front of the door, not allowing him to see past her.

“I wanted to check in and make sure you and the kids were doing well. I can always help move furniture or do some of the heavy lifting, are you sure you don’t need my help?”

Michelle looked behind her and when she turned back to Wyatt, there were tears in her eyes. “If you insist,” she answered and pushed back the door. Wyatt walked in slowly and immediately noticed the two kids on the couch gripping hands. They were looking at him and then behind him when he heard a cold voice.

“Well, Wyatt, I knew you would find me eventually,” Jessica sneered. “You’re definitely not as much the stupid soldier as I thought you were.” She had a gun in her hand as she came out from behind the door, locking it as she moved and blocked that way out. She kept the gun aimed at Michelle, knowing Wyatt would sacrifice himself to get them away, but he wouldn’t be willing to risk someone else. 

“What are you doing here, Jessica?” Michelle had moved to the couch with the kids and held them tightly. “Let Michelle and the kids go and I will stay here with you, just let them go.”

“I would love to Wyatt, but Emma has an order out for me to kill them. She wants to make your Agent Christopher suffer a little bit more before she is killed too. I didn’t really think you would come here, at least not until I was done, so now you will have to watch,” she shrugged. “No theatrics, I just want this over with. I am not much for killing children, but it is for Rittenhouse so Mark and Olivia have to go. We can’t let these loose ends dangle too long. Agent Christopher is the driving force behind this government interference with our mission. Once she is gone, in a little time, everything will simmer down again and we can go back to being the powerhouse we have always been and deserve to be.” 

“You are going to just kill this family like it’s nothing?” Wyatt was incredulous. “Jessica, let them go, walk away from this. You don’t have to do this, I know you and I know this isn’t who you are. You are a good person, you helped kids with their homework and worked with the other military wives when they lost their husbands. You are not a killer.”

“Yes, I am!” Jessica shouted as she paced in front of the door, holding the gun towards Michelle and the kids. “You don’t know anything about me, Wyatt. You still see this sweet little girl who never really existed. I have done a lot of bad things, things that would shock you, but I could see how it helped Rittenhouse, so it was all for a purpose. It moved me ahead in the ranks and Emma now respects and trusts me. I will not abandon her or Carol ever.” She stopped for a moment to collect herself. “Now, since you are here, I might be able to kill two birds with one stone. I need to know where Lucy is.”

“Go to hell,” Wyatt spat.

“She and the baby will not be harmed. Carol just wants to keep Lucy safe and make sure that baby is brought up with good Rittenhouse families, with her legacy. According to our leaders, that baby is the best of Rittenhouse’s future.”

“I will never tell you where she is, Jessica. You know that.”

“I know, Wyatt. I was giving you a chance to tell me before I started to encourage someone else to start talking,” she sang. “Someone here got a letter or two, didn’t they?” She twirled the gun on her finger. “And someone here snuck and read the letter, so they know where in 1927 Lucy is. Was it you?” She pointed the gun at Mark.

“Mom?” Mark trembled. “Please, tell Mom I love her.” He bravely stood and maneuvered out of Michelle’s grip to walk to Jessica.

“Jessica, this is insane!” Wyatt yelled. “Stop this now.” He moved to step in front of Michelle and Olivia when he saw a dark flash in the kitchen. “Jessica, please, let us work this out.”

“Wyatt, I can’t. This is how it has to be,” she replied. “So, boy, you are the one who looked at the letter? That was just a guess, I must be pretty lucky tonight.” Jessica laughed as she walked and put her arm around Mark.

“No, no, I read it, please, I read the letter. I will tell you everything, just don’t hurt my boy,” Michelle started to stand and Jessica held the gun up to Marks head, making Michelle sit back down. “Please, Jessica. Don’t hurt him, just take me.” 

Wyatt had been slowly working his way around the room putting himself in between the couch and the door. “Mark, come here. Come sit by your mom while Jessica and I talk this out.”

“No Mark, you stay right here,” Jessica yanked his arm. “Wyatt, I know what you are doing, so cut it out. This family has to go, I don’t want to do it, but I have to. Emma wants them gone and Lucy found so Carol can focus on something other then running Rittenhouse. Which by the way, would give Emma, and me, the chance to step higher. For my future, for Lucy’s future, for the baby’s future, just let this family go. What do you care? Just go outside and I will be done soon. I don’t want to, Wyatt, but I have to.” Tears had started to fill her eyes and when she blinked to empty them, Wyatt jumped towards her. He was able to push Mark to the side as he tacked Jessica.

“Michelle, run!” He screamed and he saw her grab each kid by the hand and run into the kitchen towards a waiting Flynn who covered them and ran them towards the back of the house. Wyatt hoped they got far away as he struggled with Jessica who was much stronger than he had noticed the past couple months. The gun was out of her hand on the floor, but she was closer and flailing her fists towards him, making contact anywhere she could.

As much as he hated this Jessica, he still couldn’t bring himself to hit her and was trying to subdue her instead by holding her arms against her side. As they rolled on the ground, Wyatt was caught by surprise when Jessica punched him hard in the eye. It wasn’t the hit as much as the shock and stars, which made Wyatt pause long enough to give Jessica the upper hand. She grabbed the gun and stood at the same time Wyatt got his gun from the holster and they faced each other.

“Now what?” Wyatt said. “Will you shoot me too?”

“I could have killed you so many times over the years Wyatt, but you were fun and I had a mission. But the mission is over and I have a new one to follow. You first, then the family.”

“If you didn’t kill me before, you won’t do it now,” Wyatt taunted. “I know you can’t shoot me.”

“Big mistake,” Jessica said as she shot him in the chest. He fell back and groaned, grateful for the vest he was wearing and heard Jessica laugh as she kicked the gun from his hand and stood over him. 

“You could have shot me first, you know, but your sweet little Texas heart wouldn’t let you.” She sighed and pointed her gun at Wyatt’s forehead. “It’s too bad that the baby won’t know it’s father, but you have become expendable and we no longer need you. I am sorry, Wyatt.” 

“Bitch,” a voice said and Wyatt flinched as a gun shot echoed in the living room. Time slowed as Jessica looked down at her shirt which was becoming red with blood. 

“Oh, Wyatt,” she whispered and clutched her chest as the gun clattered to the floor. Wyatt sat up quickly and saw Agent Christopher standing in the doorway holding a gun. Her hospital gown was peeking out of a long black sweater and he could see she was wearing a pair of hospital socks on her feet. 

“Denise!” Michelle cried as she ran into the room.

“Mom, oh mom,” the kids rushed to Denise as she sank to the floor. Wyatt could hear sirens in the background and saw Flynn standing in the kitchen. 

“Flynn, go,” Wyatt said urgently. “Take the car and I’ll meet you at the front of the sub in an hour. Go, they can’t see you.” Flynn swiftly walked out the front door and Wyatt heard the car door slam as he left.

Wyatt finally allowed himself to look at Jessica, who’s breathing had gotten shallow. “Jessica, I am so sorry, it didn’t have to be like this.” He lifted her into his arms and held her tightly.

“Wyatt, I wish it didn’t end this way,” she gasped as a tear slid down her cheek. “I had so much left to do, so many days,” she drifted off. Jessica lifted her hand to his face and smiled, then closed her eyes. Wyatt hugged her body to him and wept.


	21. Time to Stop Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wyatt and Flynn find where Rittenhouse is located and begin to fight their way to the Mothership. Tonight is the night where it has to end.

“Wyatt? Come on, Logan, you need to get moving,” Agent Christopher said from where she was leaning against the wall. “We can clean this up, you’ve got to go.”

Wyatt gripped Jessica once more and gently laid her body on the ground. “I grieved for her so long and then she came back, but now it’s happening all over again.”

“I am sorry, Wyatt, but I couldn’t let her kill you or anyone else.”

“I know, and I would have done the same, it’s just hard,” he trailed off. Police were starting to come in the door and an EMT was leaning over Denise, checking her bandages from the hospital. “How did you get here anyway?”

“You underestimate me, Logan,” she laughed. “I didn’t get to where I am by being oblivious and not knowing how to get out of some situations. Seriously though, Flynn killed the two Rittenhouse men outside before I got here, but no one can know. The story is that you came here to check on my wife and children after you learned of a threat to their life and notified me and I left the hospital because I was worried. I killed the men outside before they could come in and killed Jessica before she could hurt you. That’s it, got it?”

Wyatt was still looking at Jessica’s still form, but he nodded. 

“Next, you need to figure out where Jessica has been staying which should lead you to Emma and Carol and take them out,” she instructed, then gently added, “Wyatt, there isn’t anything else you can do.”

“Ok,” Wyatt stood and was suddenly wrapped in a hug from Michelle.

“Thank you, Wyatt, you saved my family,” she cried. “Here, these are the letters that Jiya and Lucy sent. I admit, one of the kids did open them. They wanted to see what someone from 1927 had sent us. It sounds like these people have been watching me.” Michelle looked around her cautiously as she handed Wyatt the letters, who put them in his back pocket.

“Thank you, Michelle. They will leave you alone from now on,” Wyatt promised. “We are going to end all this mess. But why don’t you and the kids go somewhere for a few days, just to let them relax a little bit.”

“Maybe we could go to Disneyland?” Olivia said as she put her hand into Michelle’s. 

“Their room service is wonderful,” Denise commented from the stretcher that she had been moved to. “Give me a day to make sure I didn’t do too much damage and we’ll go, sweetie.” 

Wyatt smiled as Michelle and the kids followed her out of the door. The police had a crew in the living room area and were taking photos of Jessica as she laid in a pool of blood. Out of the corner of his eye, Wyatt saw her purse with some keys sticking out of the top. He grabbed the purse and walked out the door without looking back. As he moved towards the cars, he clicked the lock button and one of the sedans chirped in response. After looking around, he opened the trunk, then the backseat where Jessica had left a travel bag with some of her clothes, make up, and iPad. Wyatt saw a light blink in the front seat and realized the car was equipped with a GPS.

“Finally,” he muttered and sat in the front seat, put the car into gear and drove away from the crime scene. He stopped at the entrance to the subdivision where he saw Flynn waiting in another car. He motioned for him to come over and rolled down the window. 

“This is Jessica’s car, it has GPS, come on.” Flynn hurried over and sat in the passenger seat. “Flynn, do you think you can figure out which location we should head to?”

“I think I can handle that,” Flynn commented as he started to fiddle with the console. “Target, liquor store, bunker – it looks like Jessica had gone back at some point, and another location in Oakland. Somewhere called Cathedral of Christ the Light? Sound familiar?”

“No, but that’s where we are going,” Wyatt said. “Look it up on my phone, see if there is anything special about it. As soon as we get off the interstate, text Rufus and tell him to be on the lookout for anything.”

Flynn started to look up the building and gave Wyatt some details; it was a church that had some huge dome shaped rooms and from what he could see, an underground area that would be perfect for hiding. Wyatt tried to focus, but his mind kept going back to Jessica’s last moments. He would like to think she had been sorry for everything, but he knew better. The woman who died tonight was not the person he had married and he had felt that way about her for a while. All the years he had searched for her killer and relived seeing her body on a slab had rushed back to him when she died tonight and the tears came from those memories more than the actions that had just taken place. As they drove in silence, Wyatt felt his breathing slow and a calm settle over him. He wasn’t happy that Jessica died, again, but he felt at peace with it the same he had felt at peace when he stole the Lifeboat so long ago.

“You are going to be ok tonight, Wyatt?”

“Actually, yes,” Wyatt admitted. “I feel like a weight is off my shoulders right now and that maybe this means we are gaining ground here.”

Flynn smirked. “How insensitive to your dead wife that she was such a burden to you.” 

“Don’t be a jackass, Flynn,” Wyatt cautioned. “I am starting to like you, it would be a shame to ruin that now.”

Flynn laughed. “Well, I hope you do like me some day Wyatt and kidding aside, I do understand. That woman turned evil very quickly from how easily she was ready to kill those kids.”

“Didn’t you try to kill John Rittenhouse?”

“Almost, but Lucy stopped me. I am not sure I could have done it anyway,” Flynn shrugged.

“Well, I am glad you didn’t otherwise Lucy might not be here.” 

“Is it too early to mention that you are now a widow, again?”

“Yes,” Wyatt responded quickly. “Tonight brought back a lot of bad memories, but I’ll be better equipped to deal with it this time around.” Wyatt knew that it was because he had Lucy and the baby, with them, he could handle anything.

“I am going to tell Rufus where we are going now.”

“Ok, we should be there in 5 minutes,” Wyatt said. As they got closer, he turned off the lights of the car and crept towards the dark building. It was covered in glass, but there were only a few lights reflecting off of it, nothing coming from the inside.

“Let’s walk from here,” Flynn said as he unbuckled his seat. “It’s dark, they must be deep inside or underground.”

“Agree, we go in together and stay tight until we know what’s happening in there.”

“Agree.” They crept silently towards the building, staying hidden in the shadows as much as possible. The building looked deserted, but Wyatt knew that probably wasn’t the case. As they moved past the front of the building, Wyatt saw it looked like the entrance to any other church he had been in. He was moving towards the back when he saw Flynn double back to the front of the building.

“Flynn!” Wyatt frantically whispered. 

“Trust me,” Flynn whispered back. He was crouched low and he touched the door handle, then pulled it back and crawled in. Wyatt didn’t know what to do so he followed and they moved down the hallway, their only light coming from the street outside. Wyatt hoped Flynn had a plan as he followed behind, watching Flynn duck around doors and take them further into the building. As they stepped into a stairwell, it suddenly lit up and they quietly moved up a flight. 

“She said she thought she saw something on the monitor, so we are going to check. I don’t care what you were doing,” a voice commanded. “Go and look.”

A pair of men were walking up the steps and they went through the doorway Wyatt and Flynn had just moved out of. Flynn walked behind the men out the door and Wyatt heard a light popping noise, so he waited a couple minutes for Flynn to return, knowing that the men had been killed and removed.

When Flynn walked back into the stairwell, Wyatt stood and they started to descend to where the men had come from. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they paused in front of the door. 

“Is this going to be like the end of Butch Cassidy? I always loved those old movies”

“Don’t they both die?” Wyatt asked.

“When we come out of this, just watch it,” Flynn snickered. “My lead?”

“Go for it,” Wyatt stated and let Flynn go through the door first, but followed closely behind. 

At first he thought the room they walked into was deserted, but when he felt something whiz past his ear, he knew they were not alone. “Cover!” Wyatt yelled and he and Flynn ducked behind a wall shooting the agent that was in their way. From what Wyatt saw, the room was mostly white and brightly lit, with a few desks and doors that went off to other hallways. The room they were in had about 5 agents in it, but he knew the call had been made for reinforcements, so it was time to get rid of the ones in the room fast. 

“I’m going out,” he told Flynn and ducked low to draw the fire of the agents. Two appeared to shoot at him and Flynn quickly shot them both, the other two came into the light from around a pillar and Wyatt was able to hit them both, making the room go quiet with only the echoing groans of one of the men still alive. Flynn walked over to the man and said, “Which hallway?” The man just moaned and Flynn leaned down, “You can tell me and I will kill you fast, don’t tell me and I will let you bleed out which hurts a lot worse. Which hallways to the Mothership?” 

“That one,” the dying man whispered. Before he could say anything more, Flynn shot him through the chest and his groaning stopped.

“Flynn, you didn’t have to do that,” Wyatt said.

“Don’t get soft, Logan. Every one of these men would kill you, me, Lucy, my family, your family, their own families in a heartbeat. They are monsters, don’t forget that,” he hissed back.

Wyatt had killed many people before during his time in the military and since he had joined the Time Team, but there had always been a mission behind it. He reminded himself that there was a mission this time too, a little mission being born in a few months that deserved a better world then one where Rittenhouse ruled. With a mental shake, he walked to the hallway the man had pointed to and cautiously opened the door.

Footsteps echoed and he hid in another door frame, leaning out to kill both men who had been running their way. Pausing to make sure he had plenty of bullets left, he moved back out into the light. There seemed to be a never ending amount of doors that Flynn made sure to check in as he walked behind him, until Wyatt got to the last part of the hallway. Making a sharp right turn he heard a voice laughing.

“Oh Wyatt, what a mess you have made for yourself,” Emma sneered. “Knocking up your girlfriend who pretty much hates you, getting your wife killed, losing everything over and over again is pretty pathetic.”

“Says the woman living in a basement afraid to show her face,” Wyatt retorted. “Come out, Emma. Let’s see who walks away once and for all.”

“Tempting, but no. I have other plans this evening. Hello, Garcia. So nice of you to join us. Aren’t these headquarters lovely? I mean, not as nice as the ones raided by the FBI and Homeland Security but still decent.”

“Emma, you are insane,” Flynn said as he shot towards the voice around the corner. “Keep moving forward, Wyatt.” He whispered and Wyatt started to shuffle towards the voice, keeping his eyes alert to any slight shift in the light. As he got to the end of this new hallway he realized they were walking into a larger open room with the Mothership in the corner and the rest of the room full of desks. Emma sat in the entrance to the Mothership holding a gun in one hand and a nail file in the other. She smiled at them lazily and motioned with her gun. Suddenly the room was full of bullets flying and Wyatt was separated from Flynn. 

“Dammit, Flynn,” Wyatt cursed. He heard some return fire and saw Flynn on the other side of the entrance to the room. “I want that ship!” Wyatt yelled to him. “Do not let her get away.” He leaned over the desk and shot twice, hitting his target. Flynn also had hit two of the men and the noise from bullets had started to slow down. From what he could tell, Wyatt thought there were about 8 shooters from Rittenhouse, including Emma. He hadn’t seen Carol anywhere. As bullets started to hit the desk he was in again, he found a pause and shot again. From the grunting noise, he must have hit one of the shooters and he saw Flynn shooting erratically around the room.

“What are you doing?” Wyatt yelled. He looked and saw only three men remaining standing, so he stood, taking a chance and ran into the center of the room, drawing fire. As they turned to shoot at Wyatt, Flynn caught two from behind and Wyatt rolled to the ground and shot the third man as he had started to move to Flynn. Flynn didn’t stop and kept shooting around the room towards the desks. After a second, Wyatt realized that Flynn was slowly taking out the computers that lined the walls and provided the data for the Mothership and who knows what else.

“Stop, stop it!” Emma screamed. She came from the Mothership and started to fire towards Flynn when a gunshot came from behind Wyatt and he saw Flynn fall. Carol stood there holding a rifle with two other men behind her. Without thinking, Wyatt shot all three in the chest.

As soon as the bullet left the gun, he realized what he had done. He had just killed Lucy’s mother.


	22. Time to Clean Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wyatt and Flynn have done some damage to Rittenhouse, now they have to finish the job and get to Lucy and Jiya before Emma does.

“What have you done?” Emma screamed as she ran back to the Mothership. “I am done with you, Wyatt Logan. There is no longer any reason to keep Lucy or that bastard baby alive. In killing Carol, you killed the entire Preston and Cahill line. I will rebuild Rittenhouse with what we have left and my mission will be to destroy you.” She jumped into the Mothership and pushed a button so the door closed. Wyatt fired at the door as it closed, then watched helplessly as it disappeared. 

“Wyatt, Flynn!” Wyatt turned and saw Rufus and Connor run in the door. “Where did she go?”

“She’s after Lucy. Carol is dead and we took out the rest of the people here, which made her crazy. Flynn, holy crap, I am sorry,” Wyatt said as he rushed to Flynn.

“Asshole, thanks for noticing,” Flynn groaned. “She hit me from behind, but the bullet got me in the shoulder. I think it went right through.” Wyatt checked out Flynns shoulder and sent Connor to look for a First Aid kit in the room while Wyatt cut some strips of cloth from one of the dead men’s jackets and Rufus held pressure on the wound. Once Flynn was patched up, Connor started to look through the desktops that were left. 

“Gentlemen, you destroyed most of the hard drives, but I would still like to salvage what we can. Do you mind if I take a laptop or two with me?” 

“Of course not, Mason. Flynn, you have taken a lot of hits the past few days. Can you keep going? Oh and do you think you can find some explosives?”

“What did you say? Explosives?” Rufus stuttered.

“We are blowing this building up. This was their central hub of information, there is no chance they can recover if we destroy this. Lucy’s grandfather helped us get rid of so many of them, this is where the rest have been gathered. I know there will still be some sleepers or followers here or there, but if we level this building, there is no one left to track them and they will be lost in history.”

“Connor, help me up and let’s go look for an ammunition room, there has to be one here. While we do that, it is time for Rufus and Wyatt to figure out where the ladies are so we can help them get back home before Emma finds them.” 

Flynn and Connor stood and walked around the bodies on the floor to the doorway. Wyatt took the letters out of his pocket and gave them to Rufus who took his gingerly. As Rufus held them, Wyatt collected two of the laptops and set them by the door. He started smashing the rest of the computers and Rufus stood to help. It was cathartic to just push and smash things, even after the shootout that had occurred. Wyatt knew that it was a way of avoiding thinking of what had happened this night. Jessica and Carol had both been killed, which should make him sad, but he felt guilty relief and was grateful that even at that cost, Rittenhouse was damaged.

“So, how did you guys get here?” Wyatt asked.

“The Lifeboat is upstairs,” Rufus said casually.

“Upstairs? Where?”

“We parked it in the sanctuary. Destroyed some of the pews and sitting areas, but we needed to get here quickly and be able to leave quickly. Connor suggested leaving the Lifeboat at the costume shop, but I said no.” 

“Pretty smart,” Wyatt laughed.

“Wyatt,” Rufus said. “Do you think we will ever be done with this? I know the 1920’s and 30’s aren’t the greatest time period, but sometimes I wish I could just do what Jiya and Lucy are doing and hide in history somewhere. Then Rittenhouse couldn’t find me and we could just be normal.”

Wyatt looked at Rufus sadly, knowing he had thought about the same thing. He loved the idea of staying with Lucy and the baby in a simpler time where they could just live out their days together, growing old like normal people do. “Yeah, Rufus, I do think about that too. But we have to finish this. I have a family to think of and you and Jiya probably will too one day. We will get Rittenhouse. With the damage Ethan Cahill did to give us all that information, the building being destroyed and most of their leaders dead or in jail, we just have to stop Emma and they are done. We can go on with our lives.”

“All our focus needs to be on killing Emma,” Rufus said. “I am not a killer, but if I had the chance, I would do it, just to get to take Jiya on a normal date.” 

“I know, Rufus. Now, how about we find out where our girls are?” He took the letter with his name on it and opened the seal.

“Wyatt, 

If you are reading this, Jiya’s plan to have us hide in time is working. As much as I was scared to leave everyone, I will admit, she picked a beautiful place…”

“Huh, I wondered where they went, it sounds pretty cool,” Rufus lifted his head from the letter he was reading. He was much more eager than Wyatt to find out the details of the girls life. Rufus and Jiya were solid and happy, so it would be easier to enjoy the words on the page. Wyatt was scared of what Lucy might say. Over the past few months, she had decided he wasn’t needed in her life, could the last few days have changed her mind? Could it have given Wyatt the chance to make things right with her, to make all the pain go away and could he hope to make new happy memories together? Before she left, he had held her hand and told her that he loved her, which he meant more than anything, but now that she had had a couple days alone and away from him, maybe she wasn’t ready to give him another chance.

Wyatt continued reading:

“We are in South Haven, Michigan. Once we got into Chicago, we were able to borrow a car and start the drive on the coast. Jiya found this city after hearing about it from her uncle years ago, he had worked here on a ship that moved supplies through the Great Lakes and talked about the beaches and friendly people. She said it stuck in her mind and she thought it would be a good spot to hide. We got here and found a nice cabin that is a short walk to the town to get supplies and eat dinner if we want to go out and is close to the beach. We walked to the beach; the water looked like glass with hardly any waves and I didn’t know that the lake could look so blue. Growing up by the ocean, I thought there couldn’t be another body of water that would capture me like it has. 

It has only been a day or so, but I already know that I could live here forever. Have you ever had that feeling? That you belong somewhere, even though you just found it? Learning how to live without the more modern conveniences has been easy so far, but always the engineer, Jiya has brought a solar charger that she built and we are using it to watch some tv shows she had downloaded on her iPad and laptop. Some of the rest of the items she brought we will put to use eventually, but I am not missing them. Tomorrow, we plan to visit the grocery store and buy some peach preserves from one of the local fruit farms and the baby is kicking in anticipation! 

All of this newness is keeping me from thinking too much about what you and the team are going through. I am scared for you, I don’t know how I could handle losing anyone else after Amy. Our team has become my family and is going to be the family that this baby knows, which also scares me. My life right now is meant to protect her and keep her safe, I feel like that is all we are doing but I have no regrets and already love her more than I ever thought would be possible. 

Wyatt, I want her to know you, I want you in her life. Having lost the man that raised me and never knowing (which is a blessing) my real father, I understand how important it is for a father to be there. This baby will need you to protect her and keep her safe, so please come back to her. Even if that date doesn’t happen, even if we don’t work out, I need you to be there for her. 

Jiya is asking me to come outside for a walk, there are places to explore and she doesn’t get tired as easily as I do. I will write more tomorrow.

Lucy”

Wyatt sighed as he folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. He was grateful they were safe and that they had found a place that was perfect for them. If he admitted it to himself, he was hoping for more, but Lucy was dealing with so much, he couldn’t expect her to change how she felt about him so quickly. Flynn and Connor weren’t back, so he opened the second letter and started to read.

“Wyatt, 

Another day has passed and I am learning about a new season: fall. The colors are changing from green to gold, red, and orange. I can say that I have never seen anything like it and have taken to sitting on a chair outside to listen to the leaves. We have fall in California, but it is nothing like this. There are crisp smells of cold on the air and the wind off the water has a bite to it. Luckily Jiya thought of that and brought some of the gloves and scarves Denise has knitted for us in the last year. The place we are staying always has a warm fire and hot tea ready. The owners like to fuss over me and bring me blankets when I sit outside, which I hate to admit, I am really enjoying. 

Right now, I am sitting by an outdoor fire watching the leaves fall. There is something in the way they float to the ground that I can’t stop watching. Who ever would have imagined that Lucy Preston would be an outdoor kind of person? Not me, that is for sure. The baby loves it here too, I can tell. She kicks more the closer we walk to the water and it makes her as exhausted as me, so she is sleeping at night, allowing me time to sleep as well. If this keeps up after she is born, maybe she will be one that sleeps through the night!

I hate that we can’t be there with you, but at least Jiya had downloaded a few gigs of data from newspapers and census records for Dallas. She also was able to download maps and cemetery information from the time you were little until now. The last couple nights we has been up late reading and trying to figure out what Jessica was talking about. I hope that you are able to find her and she will tell you what happened there. I am positive that we will stop Rittenhouse, but Dallas worries me, even though I wonder if Jessica was lying. 

Worry is part of my life since I learned about time travel and you are usually the one I worry about most. Even on days when I hated you, I have still worried about you. When we met at Mason Industries, you were so broken, all I wanted to do was hold you – sometimes punch you – but mostly hug you. My fate has always been tied to this mission, but you could have walked away and yet you never did. As I started to fall for you, all that time ago, I have never felt so alive and so confident, but I always had this fear that our time together would end. When it did, I didn’t think I would recover until I saw that line on the stick. Now I worry even worse, for your safety and the safety of this baby. 

We didn’t work out, Jessica came back and you chose her – which is what you should have done and was the right thing to do. I wish that one day we could be together, that you meant everything you said before I left, but am scared to hope again. No matter what happens, is it wrong to be grateful that this baby is now a part of you I will get to hold forever? Once Rittenhouse is over and you go back to your job and I go back to teaching, I will get to come home to her and that makes it all worth it. 

All this quiet and rustling is making me melancholy, even though I do love it. I sit here and wonder, would it be so bad if I stayed? Kept to this city and avoided changing as much as I could? The longer I am here, I admit, the harder it will be to leave. It is making me realize that I don’t have anything left in 2018. My mother, my sister, my job, my home. All of it is gone. Can I can start over? 

I am rambling and sorry about that. These letters aren’t containing anything of value because I am worried they will end up in the wrong hands. I just need to talk to you, to sort out what I am thinking and feeling. I wish you were here. I wish you could sit by me and watch the fire and listen to the trees. 

Lucy”

Wyatt felt his throat constrict, he wished he was there too. 

“Well, what did those letters say?” Flynn demanded. “Do you know where they are?”

“Yes. Did you find something to use to blow up this building?” Wyatt asked.

Flynn held up a bag. “I have some grenades, but that is about it. Connor said he can rig them to explode, so he is getting started. We have to blow this up quickly and get out of here. This is their hub of information and weapons. They might have something else somewhere, but it wont be as much as this so if any sleepers or back up is nearby, they will be coming to try and salvage this place.”

“As soon as he is done, let's be ready to leave and head to Lucy and Jiya. Emma much know something and we have to get there before she does. Let me run outside and get Jessica’s things from the car. I don’t know what we could use, but it could be something.”  
Wyatt quickly left the room and moved to the main floor, stepping over bodies as he walked. He counted at least 30 and knew that they had done a lot of damage to their members. If they could get rid of Emma and the Mothership, it would ensure that there were no other time jumps to recruit members from the past and a lot more time would be needed to recover. He was grateful to have finally made a little bit of headway in the fight. As he walked out to the car, he was careful to stay in the shadows and watch for any movement. As he grabbed Jessica’s suitcase and purse, he turned and felt a sharp pain in his stomach. 

“You killed my brother, you son of a bitch,” a voice snarled in his ear. “Now you’re dead.” 

Wyatt turned and hit the guy in his ear as he pulled the knife out. He yanked the knife from the man’s hand and stabbed him in the throat. The man looked surprised that Wyatt had killed him so quickly and Wyatt watched him fall to the ground. He leaned against the car and as he put his hand to the wound at his abdomen, he felt the warm blood flow through his fingers; he knew he had to make it back to the building quickly to get help. Gripping the handle of the suitcase, Wyatt held the purse in his hand and started to walk across the street to the church. No longer caring if he stayed in the shadows, he staggered in and out of the streetlights, the burning in his gut getting worse with each step. The panic was setting in as the blood continued to flow, so Wyatt focused his mind on putting one foot ahead of the other and kept his eye fixed on the door. 

Once he reached the door, he found he didn’t have the strength to open it and decided it was time to sit down. His head was getting foggy and he knew he had one chance to get someone up there. He grabbed his phone and texted “help” to Rufus as he felt the world start to spin and he closed his eyes. He wasn’t even able to piece together coherent sentences in his mind, but he saw an image of Lucy and smiled as the world went dark.


	23. Time to Wake Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wyatt has been badly injured and time has passed, he has to lean on friends to help him through.

Wyatt drifted. The darkness in his mind was punctuated by searing red pain. He heard yelling, but couldn’t make out the words that were being said. His body was being pulled and then he felt something burning at his side. He heard himself scream in pain before the darkness overtook him again.

Lucy was beautiful, her hair was down on her shoulders and she was holding a baby on her hip. Standing on a sand dune overlooking the crystal waves of water, she laughed. The baby was a miniature version of Lucy, with dark hair and a wide smile, but the eyes were bright blue, almost the color of the water. Wyatt grinned as he walked towards them, but his smile faded as they moved further away. “Lucy!” He yelled at her back and she turned to smile at him, which is when he noticed the tears on her face. “Wyatt, come back to us, please.” He heard her say over the waves which were getting louder and the sky was getting darker. “I can’t hear you, what did you say? Lucy,” he called again. Wyatt blinked and she was gone. Frantically, he searched the horizon and saw the sky was getting darker and waves higher, a storm was approaching. He started to run when he saw the first bolt of lightning hit the ground in front of him. As he held up his arms to shield his face, he felt a burn of pain again, but he ran forward anyway. He needed to get Lucy and the baby out of the storm. The wind started to swirl around him and the sand was hitting him like daggers. Wyatt crouched down to cover himself and everything went black.

He couldn’t open his eyes, but he heard voices around him. Whispering men and women used words like “blood”, “stitches”, and “burns”. Wyatt tried to move his hand but all of his body seemed frozen and unable to move. He tried again, but the effort made him fall back into darkness.

Wyatt blinked. There was sunlight in the room and he was looking at a wooden ceiling. Although his brain felt hazy, his senses immediately picked up some shuffling feet and moving chairs, his nose smelled something like bacon and fire. He groaned as his stomach clenched from hunger. 

“I’ll remember that it takes the smell of bacon to wake you up,” a soft voice chuckled beside him. He slowly turned his head and saw Lucy, her eyes full of tears as she clutched his hand tightly. “Welcome back.”

“Lucy,” Wyatt whispered. “Where are we? What happened?”

“We are in 1927,” Flynn said from the other side of the room. Wyatt looked over at him and noticed he was casually reclining in a chair, a book in his hand. “I must say, Jiya did select a lovely location. Close enough to town we could get supplies, but far enough away from town to be discreet. I mean, we did land a time machine in the woods.”

“How did you find me?” Wyatt asked him. As Flynn spoke he tried moving his hands and was grateful that they seemed functional again. He pointed his toes and breathed a sigh of relief when they also moved on command. He felt Lucy’s hand squeeze his tightly in encouragement as she carefully watched his motions, waiting for something that didn’t look right, smiling when she saw all seemed well. Wyatt knew he couldn’t sit up, the burning in his side had lessened, but not enough to make him willing to risk trying.

“Your text came to Rufus as we were finishing the preparations. By the time we found you, I thought you were dead from the amount of blood on the ground, but Rufus found a pulse so we pulled you inside and started by using the first aid kit, which did no good. You were still bleeding too much. So, uh,” Flynn looked away. “We had to seal the wound.” 

“What does that mean?” Wyatt remembered the pain that caused him to black out a couple times and was also happy he hadn’t stayed awake for any of it. He noticed Lucy starting to look pale at the talk of his injuries so he swallowed. “Can I have some water?”

Lucy awkwardly stood up and left to get him a glass of water.

Flynn had watched Lucy leave and his shoulders sagged. “Well, it wasn’t pretty and you may not be my favorite person, but I am grateful you weren’t awake for it. I had to do this once for one of my men and Emma talked me through it. That man didn’t make it, so I wasn’t sure it would work,” Flynn shrugged then continued. “I lit a fire and used the knife that I found in the man who tried to kill you. I cleaned it of course. Rittenhouse has some good whiskey in their store room, so I cleaned the knife, poured whiskey on your side and burned it shut.”

Wyatt looked back at Flynn. “Was it that bad?”

“I didn’t think you would make it. You are one tough bastard.” Wyatt tried to smile, but his face hurt so he grimaced instead. Flynn laughed. “Well anyway, Rufus and I got you in the Lifeboat once you stopped bleeding and your breathing got normal. Connor continued to prepare the explosives, we got all the other stuff in the Lifeboat and jumped but only a couple blocks away. Rufus set us down in the middle of a street, but fortunately it was late at night and no cars were around. Connor set off the grenades and the whole building collapsed. To be honest, it was beautiful to see Rittenhouse’s headquarters fall in a heap of rubble.”

“I bet,” Wyatt agreed. “I wish I could have seen it.” Lucy walked in with a glass and held the back of Wyatt’s head with one hand and the glass to his lips with the other. She smiled as he drank a couple sips and put his head back down. 

“Don’t worry, Rufus taped the whole thing with his phone and has shown all of us the footage. You will get to see it,” Lucy commented as she rolled her eyes. “Is this too much, do you need to rest?” She looked between him and Flynn questioningly.

“No,” Wyatt shook his head. “I want to know what else happened.”

“Not too much, actually. We landed in the woods a week ago. I borrowed a car and drove to the Lifeboat to get you and the stuff while Connor and Rufus made sure the Lifeboat was safely hidden. We all drove to this town and were directed to where the two 'beautiful women from far away' were staying and knocked on the door.”

“A week ago? I have been out a full week? And how did you keep me alive in 1927?”

Flynn looked offended. “I happen to have picked up a lot of first aid and there were doctors back then. We told the local physician that you had been injured in a farming accident so he has helped keep you from going septic with leaches and mercury supplements.” Wyatt snapped his head to Flynn and saw him laugh.

“A-hole,” he muttered. “But why here?”

“Because I knew that you would heal best where you could be around Lucy, not worrying what was happening. I made the call to bring you here and she hasn’t left your side, which leads me to believe it was the right choice.” 

Wyatt swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked at Lucy, who had stayed silent through Flynn’s explanation. “It was the right choice, thank you.” 

“This place is amazing, Wyatt. It is going to be good for you to heal here.”

“So we are staying here? For how long?”

“That is up to you,” Rufus chimed in from the doorway. “Good to see you up, brother.” 

“Rufus,” Wyatt sighed. “I am happy to see you. Are Jiya and Mason okay?” 

“They are fine! We just got done taking a walk and we figured I should come up first so you didn’t get overwhelmed.”

Wyatt laughed, “I can manage, I want to see everyone.”

“Jiya, Connor,” Rufus called. “Wyatt will see you now.” He formally bowed as they walked into the room.

“Nice,” Wyatt said as Jiya came barreling in, her typical ball of energy, Mason calmly walking behind her. Once the hello’s were done, Wyatt decided it was time to sit up a little more and Rufus and Flynn helped him lean forward as Lucy put another pillow behind him. It wore him out, but he was in a better position to see everyone and felt happy having all these people in one place again.

“So, what is happening now? Any Emma sightings?”

“Not so far,” Jiya said. “I’ve made friends with some of the shop owners and told them how Lucy’s sister with red hair had abused her for years and stole all the family money and that we are here to get away from her. If she does show up, I don’t think they will give her too warm a reception and will let us know right away.”

“Good work, Jiya.” Wyatt said earnestly. “We are all lucky you thought this far in advance and keep thinking forward.” Jiya embarrassed, blushed and smiled.

“If Emma hasn’t come here yet, she is either still looking or biding her time. My guess is she is looking, there is a lot of space around Chicago that someone could hide and all she knows is Chicago 1927, so that give us a little bit of an advantage. But we need to be ready. She wouldn't have been able to track our more recent jump here, so she might be anywhere in time searching.”

“I have been thinking about that,” Flynn said. “I want to go back to the church and scout out the remains of the building, check in with Agent Christopher, and check the modern technology for more Mothership jumps.”

“Oh, guys, I wouldn’t mind a Starbucks, I want to go back,” Jiya sighed. When Lucy quickly looked at her, Jiya said, “Not that I don’t love it here with you, Lucy, but I want to charge things and check out a couple leads on the things we have been researching.” 

“So who is going and who is staying?” Lucy asked.

“I’ve said before, most times in history aren’t great for my people and while this town has been nice so far, I would feel fine just going home too.” Rufus said and Connor nodded in agreement.

“I miss my cats,” Connor commented.

“You don’t strike me as a cat-guy,” Flynn smirked. 

“I love my cats and since all this drama started and I moved into the bunker, I have rarely gotten to see them,” Connor huffed dramatically. “Look, my condo is relatively safe with a couple extra rooms. No one could be left in Rittenhouse and they shouldn't be looking for us anymore, so if we can hide the Lifeboat somewhere, we can all use my place as a base of operations that has a french press.” 

“Then who is staying here? Just us?” Wyatt looked at Lucy to see if she agreed to it. 

“It makes sense, Wyatt. I can keep an eye on you while you heal, I’ve made friends with the people in town and they will help if needed. You need rest and won’t get it if you are looking over your shoulder all the time.”

“Can Lucy and I have a minute?” Wyatt asked. Everyone agreed and shuffled out of the room. Wyatt looked at Lucy, who had resumed her spot on the chair and was holding his hand again. “Are you sure you are comfortable with this?”

"Well, you promised me a date, right? There is a great restaurant in town that serves a nice peach pie."

Wyatt tried to keep his voice level, "That sounds great, but how are you feeling? How is the baby? We could be here an other couple weeks."

"I promise, Wyatt, the baby is fine. And maybe this could be a new beginning."

This time, Wyatt couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Peach pie, you say? I think that sounds pretty good."


	24. Time to Heal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time team leaves to head back to 2018, leaving Lucy to take care of Wyatt. Both of them need to heal and talk through their past and future.

The team began to prepare to leave. Wyatt struggled to move, but had made it from the bed to the chair and had eaten a few bites of food. Lucy fussed over him and he caught Flynn smirking from the doorway. “Still wondering why we brought you here, Logan?”

“Watch it, Flynn,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’ll be healthy soon enough and back to work.”

“You need time to heal, Wyatt,” Rufus said as he passed by the door. “We are all just going to be doing some research and will be back soon.”

“What else do we need to get ready?” Jiya asked. “I have everything I need, you guys didn’t bring much. We can leave soon, right?”

“Gee, thanks, Jiya,” Lucy sighed. “Was it that bad here?”

“Of course not!” Jiya exclaimed. “I love it here, but I also really love hot showers and WiFi. Don’t be mad. I can stay if you want?”

“Not mad, I’ll just miss you,” Lucy said with a quick hug. “I am going to grab my sweater and hat so I can walk you to the Lifeboat.” She left the room and Wyatt glanced at Jiya, noticing her crestfallen face. 

“She will be fine, Jiya,” he promised. “I will take care of her. Well, once she is done taking care of me.”

Jiya laughed, hugged him gently and walked out, waving goodbye and telling him what things she was leaving behind and how to use them. Connor said goodbye as he passed the doorway as Rufus and Flynn entered. 

“Wyatt, you are going to have to relax a little. We will take care of things in 2018, get a handle on where Emma could have gone, and figure out who is left of Rittenhouse, if anyone. Once you get back, we can finish everything together, as a team again.”

“I am leaving you some more modern weapons. There will also be some extra bullets and some bullet proof vests. You shouldn’t need them, but you also need to be careful. Stay vigilant.” Flynn warned.

“I can do my job,” Wyatt said. “And I can protect them.” 

“I know you will,” Flynn answered. “Good luck.”

Wyatt watched through the window as his friends all left towards the woods, wishing he was with them, but barely having the strength left to drink his tea. He slowly moved himself over to the bed, feeling his body weakening with each move. As he settled under the covers, he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer and drifted back to sleep.

When Wyatt woke up, it was almost dark and Lucy was reading in the chair by the window as the last few rays of light shone through. He didn’t let her know that he was awake and instead just watched her. She had her legs propped on another chair and a blanket covering her shoulders. One hand rested on her belly while the other turned the pages of her book as she read. His heart beat louder in his chest and he knew that he loved her more today than ever, it seemed like every day the feeling got deeper. Never once had he felt this depth with Jessica and Wyatt knew that she was truly in his past, Lucy was his future.

“What are you reading?” 

“Oh, you’re up!” Lucy straightened up and leaned towards him. “How are you feeling?”

“Honestly, I am starving. Tired, but not as sore as I was this morning.”

“Do you think you could sit in the chair for a while and I will get you some dinner? We can just eat in here for the next couple meals until you are ready to move around.”

“Where is your room? Are you tired, you can’t be comfortable sitting in here all day.”

“Actually, you’re in it,” she laughed. “This is my room, my closet, my window, my bed. It has a good view of the land around us and it’s pretty roomy.”

Wyatt leaned forward and looked around the room, suddenly seeing the traces of Lucy everywhere: a pile of books and papers on the desk, cold tea in a cup on the bed stand, a couple pairs of shoes shoved under the chair by the door. 

“Wait, where have you been sleeping? You have been sleeping, right, that can’t be good not to,” Wyatt worried.

“I shared Jiya’s bed for a couple days while you were out. It’s been fine, I am getting rest, food, everything I need. Uff.” She panted and held her side. “Baby kicks.”

Wyatt leaned his hand over hesitantly and she sat on the edge of the bed, pulling his hand to her. The hard kick against his palm amazed him as usual and he smiled. “I’ll never get enough of that.”

“Try sleeping with it,” she said with a wry smile.

“So, what do we do now? Should I get another room? I don’t want to take over your space.” 

“I really don’t mind sharing, it wouldn’t be the first time right? And the bed is plenty big enough, even though I do take up more space,” she drifted off and looked away as though she was embarrassed.

“Hey,” Wyatt took her hand. “You and I can do this, we will be fine. But if I remember, you snore, so I hope Jiya remembered ear plugs in her bags of stuff she brought.”

“I do not!” Lucy stood indigently. “And now, I will go get dinner from downstairs.” She left in a huff, punctuated with laughter.

When she returned about 20 minutes later, Wyatt had gotten himself out of the bed and taken a look out the window. He remembered Lucy’s words about the colors of the trees and was entranced watching them move in the wind, understanding what she meant. Lucy came in with a tray full of soup and bread with some glasses of milk for each of them. She smiled as she set it on the table. 

“I was pretty excited to see the cabin when Jiya pulled up to the front door, the car took a lot longer to get here than one in 2018 would have. There are six cabins on the property with eight rooms and a kitchen on the first floor of each. Each cabin has a name, we are in the Maple Cabin; they are all named after trees.” She rolled her eyes as she explained. “If you are feeling better tomorrow, we can eat downstairs and maybe sit by a fire outside. There is a big fire pit that people can sit near and it is lit all day long during the fall and winter. Eventually, we will be able to walk to town and maybe on the beach.”

“Did they say how long they would be?” Wyatt asked. “I am caught between wanting to stay here for a while and not wanting to be here when they could be in danger. Not to mention we are about 4 weeks from when the baby would get here, right?”

“If all goes well, that is what the doctor said.”

“Okay, we will just wait for them to return and get out of here quick so you can be home before the baby gets here. So, what do you do here for fun?” 

“I haven’t been here too long, but we have been exploring the forest, going to some shops, eating a lot, and reading. Jiya left her iPad with a few movies on it and a solar charger, but I haven’t needed it. I thought the 40’s were my favorite time period, but this is starting to take it’s place. The people here are nice and I love that things are easier, even the food is simpler but better tasting. It helps that I know what is coming for them, so I am able to just ignore their political arguments and local issues.” 

“It does sound nice. Tomorrow we can try that walk.”

Lucy smiled, “I think that sounds great.”

As she took the dishes downstairs, Wyatt shuffled around the room and found a brand new pair of men’s pajamas in a drawer with some pants, shirts, socks, even underwear. He quietly thanked whichever team member had thought to go shopping for him, he guessed Jiya, but Flynn wouldn’t surprise him either. The guy had been pretty helpful over the past few weeks and would have probably thought of Wyatt needing some clothes. He got himself ready for bed and laid down, exhausted. Lucy came in the room and pulled her pajamas out of another drawer. She went to the bathroom and came out in the fuzzy pants he had bought her after the hospital and a loose t-shirt. When she walked to the other side of the bed and laid down, she reached for his hand. Wyatt squeezed her hand and drifted to sleep.

Wyatt heard a small noise and his eyes popped open. He tried to look around the dark room, but there wasn’t a single light so he trained his ears to listen for more. This time he heard the distinct sound of a nose sniffing and turned his head towards Lucy. She had moved closer to him and still held his hand, but tighter and had her other hand on his arm. She sniffed again and he shifted to let her know he was awake. Her hands pulled back and he rolled onto his side so he could be facing her, even if he couldn’t see her in the darkness.

“Lucy, are you ok?”

“Yes, I am sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Are you sick?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Wyatt moved his hand to her face and felt it wet with tears. He stroked them away and Lucy broke down in quiet sobs. “Lucy, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Everything, nothing. I don’t know, I shouldn’t be crying like this. I am a mess, I am sorry.”

“If you don’t tell me what’s wrong, I am going to have to go and get some tea and food. Keep in mind I don’t know where the kitchen is, probably can’t get myself dressed, and don’t know anyone here. So unless you want a half dead soldier walking around through the night waking up the whole cabin and getting us in trouble, you probably should talk to me.” Wyatt hoped his weak attempt at humor would make her open up a little. When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “Lucy, since I met you, you have kept so much inside, you have to share all these thoughts and feelings with someone or you will crack. I am sorry Jiya isn’t here and you are stuck with me, but could you pretend I am someone you trust enough to talk to? Just for tonight.”

“That’s the problem, Wyatt. I feel horrible because I am glad you are here. I loved having Jiya with me, but am also so happy that you are alive, with me and the baby, just sleeping in this bed together like it is almost normal. But it isn’t normal, there is so much that I am afraid will happen. I am just happy, and scared, and I feel bad that I am so happy and so many others are sad or hurt, or gone.”

“Lucy, you have every right to be scared, we all are. There are things we are facing that no one ever could have imagined existed, I mean, the idea of time travel after all this time still freaks me out. And the bad people we are fighting aren’t like anyone I have fought before. They are calculated and hiding and I am more used to open battlefields with known enemies. I am scared too, especially now that we have a baby on the way. It is more urgent that we get this Rittenhouse thing over and can welcome her to a safe world.”

“I am scared she will never be safe.”

“She will, I promise you, Lucy. I will keep both of you safe.” He meant it, he would do anything to keep Lucy and this baby protected. 

Lucy leaned forward and kissed him, catching Wyatt by surprise and without thinking, his arm moved to circle Lucy and draw her in closer. He winced at the pain.

“Did I hurt you? I didn’t think about all your injuries,” Lucy exclaimed.

“What injuries?” Wyatt whispered back as he touched her face and kissed her back. After a pause, he deepened the kiss and Lucy responded urgently, her arms pulling Wyatt closer. Wyatt felt like a kid having his first kiss and couldn’t help smiling, which made Lucy pull back and smile at him. “I’ve wanted to kiss you again for so long, I have missed you, Lucy.” 

“Me too,” was her response. She kissed him again quickly and snuggled her head into his shoulder. Wyatt felt a stab of pain at the movement, but was careful not to show it this time. He needed this for his mind and heart to heal as much as his body needed healing, and he could tell his body was getting stronger. 

“Lucy, will you promise me to talk about what else is bothering you when you feel comfortable? I know I need to rest, but I want you to rest too and that might be easier if your mind is clear. I can’t tell you not to worry, but I will take as much of that worry from you as I can.”

“I will, I promise,” Lucy said. She paused, like she wanted to say more and Wyatt waited, giving her the time to sort out how she wanted to continue. “Wyatt, I am sorry about Jessica, Flynn told me what happened.”

Wyatt was glad Flynn and Rufus had filled Lucy in on a lot of the activity that had taken place the last couple weeks, but it also reminded him that he was the one who had killed Lucy’s mother. Unsure of how to continue, Wyatt cleared his throat and sighed. “We have a lot of talking to do, Lucy. There is so much that has happened since you left, but we do have to talk about all of it, I need you to know and understand everything so we can move on, hopefully together.”

“Okay. I am tired, but wanted you to know I am sorry.”

Wyatt did say anything, he just kissed her forehead and rolled onto his back in a more comfortable position, but pulled Lucy with him, so her head was on his good shoulder. She laid an arm around his waist, purposely avoiding any bandages, and within a few minutes, he heard her breathing become even and she was asleep. 

Wyatt was exhausted but his mind wouldn’t stop thinking over what happened at the Rittenhouse headquarters. Could he have avoided shooting Carol? Was there another way? He mentally slowed down the whole scene in his head and saw her holding the rifle that had shot Flynn in the back, then her head had turned to him and the gun moved with her, pointed in her direction. It was going to be him or her and Wyatt knew he made the right choice for his own life, and he prayed that Lucy would see it that way.


	25. Time for a Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wyatt and Lucy have a long way to go as they work their way back to each other. A trust has been broken and needs rebuilt, but Wyatt is committed to making it up to her.

Sunlight was streaming in the room, Lucy had pulled back the curtains and Wyatt could feel the morning air had a chill to it. Lucy was in the bathroom, so Wyatt sat up and cautiously felt his bandaged side and other areas that were also covered with bandages that he had forgotten. They had been through a lot in such a short time, he shook his head, amazed that his team had made it this far. He pulled off the gauze that covered the minor nicks and cuts since they didn’t hurt and needed air to heal, but he left the one on his side in place since he knew that was the worst of his injuries. 

Groaning out loud, then quietly to himself so Lucy didn’t hear, he stood and gathered clothes that he could wear for the day while he waited for Lucy to finish in the bathroom. She came out minutes later, face radiant and wearing a dark green dress with a low waist that fit right below her belly. 

“All yours, sorry it takes me longer to get ready in this era’s fashion and lack of hot water. Fortunately, this cabin does have some central heating, which is lucky for us, some of the other cabins don’t have it yet. The owners of the property live on the first floor, so we really are fortunate. I’ll go get some tea while you get ready.” And she was out the door.

Wyatt laughed at how much energy she had and went to the restroom, ready to figure out old fashioned plumbing and water systems, but he was happy to discover it was pretty close to what was still being used in 2018. He washed the best he could with some cold water and when he started shivering, he pulled on the new clothes, relishing in how warm they felt in the cold air. He folded his towels, then noticed Lucy had left hers on the floor, so he folded hers as well. As he looked around he saw her mess all over and shook his head. The woman was so meticulous about anything to do with history or how they all dressed and acted in the past, but was the messiest person he knew in her own space. Being a self-proclaimed neat freak himself, he quickly cleaned the rest of her messy hair brush, hair pins, make up, and toothpaste. Satisfied with the bathroom and feeling more like himself, he opened the door to see Lucy making the bed and a pot of steaming tea sat on the table.

He sat at the chair and drank the hot liquid. It wasn’t coffee, but it was warm and had caffeine, so he would take it. 

“I have some pain medicine for you on the table. The doctor gave you some from this time period, but I think Jiya’s 2018 ibuprofrin might be better than coated morphine.” 

“Yes, I’ll take some of Jiya’s,” Wyatt agreed. His pain wasn’t unmanageable and morphine would dull his senses, which he didn’t want happening when Emma could show up at any time. Lucy produced a bottle from a dresser drawer and handed it to him. Wyatt took 4 and finished his tea.

“What time is it? I need a watch, I feel like my body is off track.” 

“It’s still early, about 8, but breakfast is served in the dining room from 7 – 9 so we have time to go down and eat. If a meal is missed, the owners don’t mind making food for yourself in their kitchen, but everything has to be cleaned and put away or you will hear about it. Jiya made that mistake once when she made herself a sandwich at night and didn’t wash the plate. Big time trouble!”

“Duly, noted!” Wyatt laughed. “Let’s go down to eat.” As hungry as Wyatt was, he was also eager to leave the room and look around the cabin area. His memories of the showdown at Rittenhouse had reminded him that Emma was out to kill Lucy and the baby, he needed to scope the property and town to see if any potential threats existed and what they could do if one did appear. 

Walking along the hallway, Wyatt took note of the doors that were open and closed. Lucy pointed out Jiya’s room and said that they kept it reserved for an extra spot to keep all Jiya’s baggage and in case they needed a place to stay when they came back. The other rooms were occupied and Wyatt could hear children’s voices in one, a woman talking in another, snoring coming from the room by the stairs, and various other homey sounding noises. As they walked onto the main floor, his stomach growled at the small of pancakes and sausage. The dining room had multiple tables all set for eating, with most empty, so Lucy selected one by a window and they sat down. 

Within minutes, a large woman with an apron on came to their table and set down a pot of tea and some milk.

“Finally up and about Mr. Preston!” She exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. “Welcome to Glen Forest Cabins. My name is Marthe Glen, my husband and I own and operate the place. Now are you hungry?”

“Yes, I am, thank you.” Wyatt smiled at her and she crowed in delight as she walked to the kitchen. He looked at Lucy, “Mr. Preston?”

“Everyone knows you are here and were injured, Jiya was good about talking loudly so there weren’t any whispers. I think that Marthe assumes you are my husband and my room is registered under a Lucy Preston. And yes, I know I used my real name, but when we walked in, I was looking around distracted and when Marthe asked for my name I gave it to her without thinking.”

“It’s fine, Lucy, just funny.” Wyatt was secretly pleased at people assuming he and Lucy were married. A while ago, he was against putting on a show for strangers, but he didn’t feel like it was a show any longer, it felt real and he didn’t mind at all.

“Just so you know, the backstory is that our house was destroyed in a fire that was started by my abusive red headed sister. A friend brought me here to rest while you worked on a family members farm, where you got injured and were brought here,” she whispered and Wyatt nodded, thinking it was a decent enough story to get them through a couple days.

“Mrs. Preston, you look lovely today.” A man with a mustache appeared before them and leaned down to kiss Lucy’s hand. Wyatt glanced at Lucy who seemed charmed by the interaction and he relaxed. She was comfortable in the mannerisms of the era and these people might not be strangers to her, so he let her take the lead and he watched as she chatted back with the man. 

“Wyatt, this is Mr. Glen, Marthe’s husband,” Lucy explained. “He has been very helpful to Jiya and I during our stay.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Glen,” Wyatt stood and shook his hand. The man smiled and enthusiastically shook Wyatt’s hand, jolting his shoulder and making Wyatt wince. 

“Mr. Preston, so glad you are here. I am sorry to hear about your accident, but you let my wife and I know and we will help you out however we can. Your wife here has been so nice to sit and talk to by the fire and she said you are a soldier, looking forward to hearing some stories.”

“I’ll be glad to oblige, sir,” Wyatt sat down chuckling as Mr. Glen bowed to Lucy and bobbed his way to another table. “He seems nice.”

“They both have been wonderful,” Lucy sighed. “Tea all day or night, warm blankets when I need them, lots of information about the town and townspeople. Please don’t judge, but I may have slipped and offered a couple suggestions for stocks to invest in.” 

“No judgement here, anyone who takes care of you deserves to get a little help in life.” Wyatt grinned at Lucy as Marthe appeared with some pancakes and sausage. He spent the next twenty minutes eating like he hadn’t eaten in years, Lucy watching with wide eyes as he devoured plate after plate of food. Finally full, he sat back and sipped his tea. 

“Well that was more food then I ever thought someone could eat,” Lucy primly commented as she folded her napkin and began to put her hat on. “How about we take a walk?”

Wyatt stood first and held his hand out to Lucy. “Mrs. Preston.” She smiled up at him from behind the emerald brim of the hat, her eyes glowing and she stood next to him, pulling her coat over her shoulders. He took her hand and tucked it into the corner of his arm and they walked to the door.

The next couple hours Wyatt checked the perimeter of the cabin, looked through the edge of the woods for any potential hiding places, and walked the short block to the edge of the downtown area. Lucy stayed by his side, answering questions about movement and making observations about the architecture and status of household appliances in the 1920’s. He listened with half an ear, focused on his goal of making sure the building was secure and knowing where all the exits and entrances were. 

They walked downtown and the area got busier, but Lucy smiled and nodded to people as though she had lived here for her whole live. He kept her on his arm, making sure to keep her close. Wyatt knew that she had been here without him for a short time, but now that he was here, he wanted to be a part of this life she created. He knew it wasn’t real, that it was all going to end at any minute, and that made every step they took together more meaningful. 

As they passed store fronts, Wyatt was starting to relax and enjoy the sun warming the air when Lucy pulled away and disappeared. Wyatt panicked, “Lucy!” People nearby paused to look at him, but he pushed past them, angry he hadn’t thought to bring a gun or any type of protection with them. He was pacing in a circle, trying to get his bearings on where to start looking for her when she walked out of a store, waving goodbye to someone inside, holding a package in her other hand.

“Lucy, where did you go?” Wyatt rushed to her and gripped her shoulders tightly before pulling her into a rough embrace. “Don’t do that again, okay?”

“Wyatt, I just wanted to surprise you,” she whispered into his neck. “I am sorry, I am here. I didn’t think about it.” 

Wyatt just stood still. He had been so frightened thinking she was gone, that Emma had taken her. After a minute, his heart slowed down to a normal pace, allowing the panic and adrenaline to fade away with each breath, but his mind was being hit over and over with images of the times when she had almost died in his care; from their first mission on the Hindenburg to the bullets flying in New York in 1919, she had been close to death so often. He couldn’t imagine a life without her and faced with that reality, his mind wouldn’t stop showing him how much he had to lose.

“Look, I bought you a hat,” Lucy pulled away and showed him what was in the package. “To keep with the fashion of the 20’s and I have always loved you in hats.” She placed it on his head and he forced a smile.

“I know that me being here is new, so I am sorry if I startle easily right now. The last few weeks have been very difficult and my reflexes are slow, which makes me more jumpy. You don’t have to tell me where you are going or what you are doing, but if you could just give me a heads up here or there, it would help me not freak out.”

“Wyatt, it is new to me too, but I love having you here with me and I promise not to disappear on you again. If I want to go shopping, you are more than welcome to join me.”

“I’ll hold your bags while you try on dozens of dresses,” he laughed, the image of her trying on dresses with her pregnant belly showing pushed the other horrible thoughts out of his head for good. “Mrs. Preston, I am getting a little tired, do you want to stop and eat lunch somewhere or would you prefer to go back to the cabin?”

“Let’s eat downtown, there is a great diner at the edge of the water and they serve fresh fruit with their lunches. It is late in the season for this area, but still delicious.”

Wyatt let Lucy lead him through the town to the diner. They were seated at the window and Wyatt watched the waves hit the sand, allowing himself to get lost in the sounds and smells of the water.

“Mr. Preston,” Lucy touched his hand, pulling him back to reality at the table. “What would you like to eat?” 

“I will have whatever you are having,” he gave a weak smile at the waitress. Then gripped Lucy’s hand tighter when she walked away. “Lucy, I can see why you love it here. Everything so far makes it appear to be perfect.”

“I know,” she agreed, then her smile faded. “Of course they have the end of Prohibition to look forward to, then World War II when half of these men and boys will be shipped off, not to mention the mess people are going to make of the Great Lakes, and the shipping industries fall. There is a lot coming for them, but for now, it is just peaceful.”

Wyatt squeezed her hand and asked her more about the shipping industry and how it began on the lakes, where it was headed, and different routes that would be used from the start through now. He was always amazed at Lucy’s ability to retain historical knowledge and when he thought she might be stumped on a date or time, she would pull it out of the recess of her brain with a sense of accomplishment at having remembered it at all. 

He couldn’t help but be proud of her. For all that she had done, in the face of horrible adversity; her mother and father turning out to be Rittenhouse, losing her sister, her career, and even him at some point, but she remained strong. 

After they finished eating, they decided to go back to the cabin so Wyatt could rest. Lucy admitted she was tired as well and they walked through the town, just enjoying the silence and each other. When they got to the room, Wyatt kicked off his shoes and laid on the bed. Lucy also laid down and her hand found his like the night before and they fell asleep.

Wyatt woke up before Lucy, the late afternoon sun making the room bright. She was on her side, her head on his shoulder like the night before, still holding onto him. Wyatt circled his arms around her and closed his eyes, loving the feel of her next to him. A tiny movement happened against his side and he held her closing, waiting for the baby to kick again. When it did, he heard Lucy groan and she lifted her head to look at him and smile, before laying back down against him. “I know it’s different feeling that all the time, but I just love it. Does it hurt when she kicks you?”

“Depends on where the kick lands. When a little foot hits the kidneys or bladder, it doesn’t feel too good, but otherwise it isn’t painful, just exhausting.” 

Wyatt was rubbing her back as she spoke and she sighed, leaning into his hand, enjoying the movement. “I am sorry again that I haven’t been here all along. I should have been with you and I wasn’t.”

“Wyatt, that was another version of you and there were reasons for how you acted. You knew I was being taken care of by the team, it wasn’t like you abandoned me completely.”

“Regardless, I am still sorry. I wish I knew what the other Wyatt knows and was thinking,” he mused. 

“We will figure it out, we just have to handle one problem at a time, right? Rittenhouse is almost gone and hopefully when the team gets back, they will have some details for how to finish them for good.”  
Wyatt’s stomach clenched and he knew that he needed to tell Lucy what happened with her mother. “Lucy, there is something I need to tell you. I don’t know how to say this or how to really explain it, I have gone over everything that happened in my mind a million times and I understand if you hate me after what I am about to tell you.” Lucy looked at him expectantly, her head still on his chest and he kissed her forehead, worried it might be the last time he did that for a while. “I guess there is just no other way to say it,” he drifted off.

“Wyatt, I know about my mother.”

“You what?”

“I know what happened, Rufus and Flynn told me a few days ago.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Wyatt was confused and thankful and worried all at the same time and he sat up a little, making Lucy sit up with him. “I have been so worried you would never forgive me and you knew?”

“Wyatt, you were in and out of consciousness, I heard you say ‘Carol’ a couple times and asked Rufus if he saw my mother at the church. He and Flynn looked at each other and told me that she shot Flynn in the back and she was going to shoot you, but you were faster. You saved both of your lives, and probably all of ours too.” She started to tear up and Wyatt held out his arms, which she leaned into. “I know you wouldn’t have done it if you didn’t have to, you’ve had a chance before and didn’t take it.”

“Are you angry with me? Lucy, I am sorry.”

“I was upset at first. I loved my mother more then I hated her and who she is. I hated the lies and secrets and I will never forgive her for taking me to Rittenhouse and what she did there. But as upset as I was that she is gone, I was happy that you had all made it out alive. Wyatt, I feel like I lost my birth family a long time ago. My father who raised me died, then my sister disappeared, my birth father is in jail, and my mother was a liar and bad person. They’ve all been gone to me for a while. That is why it has been so easy to lean on Jiya, Denise, the guys, and now you. I don’t have anyone else anymore.” With the last word, Lucy started to sob. Wyatt held her, waiting for the tears to pass.

“You do have me, Lucy. I will be yours and by your side for as long as you will let me.” 

“You have said that before, Wyatt. You told me once that I didn’t lose you and not even a month later, you had your wife back and in the bunker with us, throwing it in my face, day after day. You shattered my heart and it took me months to begin to piece it together. How do I know you won’t do that again? That we won’t go back to 2018 and Jessica will be alive again and you will run back to her like you did before. I want to believe all of this and it’s dangerous that I am even letting it all go this far, but I can’t help thinking that this time together is wonderful, but it won’t last.”

“It can last, Lucy,” Wyatt pleaded, holding her at arms-length so she was forced to look into his eyes. “I will never go back to Jessica, even if she somehow is still alive when we get back. I can’t be away from you anymore. You are everything to me.”

“You are just saying that because of the baby,” Lucy whispered. 

“Even without the baby, I would feel the same way. I fell in love with you a long time ago, I just didn’t realize it until it was too late. Jessica came back and everything felt wrong with her because she wasn’t you. I need you, no one else and that is not going to change no matter where we go or what we do.” 

“Wyatt, how can I believe that? And now with so much at stake, I can’t take you leaving again.”

“You won’t have to see me leave. You can believe this because I will prove it to you, little by little, every day for the rest of my life, I will prove it to you. Lucy, I love you.” She shook her head and looked away. “You know when I knew that I loved you? When you fell through the window in 1972. I had never seen such a klutzy move in my life and even though Flynns men were outside the door, ready to rush in, you made me smile. In the middle of chaos, you were my center and you had been for a long time, I was just too thick headed to see it.”

Lucy laughed, then got serious. “Wyatt, you’ve hurt me so badly. That doesn’t go away, it takes time.”

“I know, I know. And we are on your time schedule, I am not in a rush because I am not going anywhere. As long as you will allow me to be nearby, I will be. I can’t do anything but show you how sorry I am.”

“You don’t have to keep saying that. We are just in the craziest situations, no one could understand, so I have to try and move forward, which is what I have been doing the best I could.”

“Lucy, I am so proud of all you have done and how strong you are, but I want to move forward with you - even if you decide you don’t want to be with me, I still will move with you to help and be there for anything you need.”

“Thank you, Wyatt. I know I haven’t said it yet, but Wyatt, I do still…” a knock at the door.

“Dinner is about ready, Mr. and Mrs. Preston,” came Marthe’s voice.

“Thank you, Mrs. Glen,” Wyatt yelled back. “What were you going to say, Lucy?”

“Nothing, I think we have said enough for today,” she started to stand and stretch out her legs. “I am happy you are here Wyatt. Even with everything else that has happened, this is like a dream to me and I want to exist here for just a little longer with you.”

“Then let’s go to dinner,” Wyatt said. “And you can regale me with stories of the local library and I thought I heard there is an amusement park here? I am guessing no roller coasters.”

She laughed and slipped on her shoes while Wyatt got himself ready. “Are we okay, Mr. Preston?”

“Absolutely, Mrs. Preston.” Hand in hand, they walked out of the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are going to be a few chapters of day to day life. As exciting as Wyatt's story has been, he has to work this out with Lucy and they have to find their way back to each other, little by little. In a tv show, all this dialogue would take about 10 minutes, but written makes it look longer. I am going to post a few chapters pretty quickly to move the story forward. Again, thank you for reading! The comments help to motivate and guide me in the story.


	26. Time for Waiting is Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wyatt and Lucy are becoming more invested in their temporary home and the people who live there. The baby is getting closer to being due and Wyatt is starting to worry.

The next week passed in a blur. Their days followed the same schedule: breakfast, then a walk, lunch, then another walk, a nap, and then dinner. Sometimes after dinner they would sit by a fire outside, other times they would play cards with Mr. and Mrs. Glen or walk to the town and people watch. Wyatt was feeling stronger every day and his wounds were healing well, he had even seen the local doctor who looked a little suspicious, but didn’t say much. He was happy, and if life was like this all the time in 1927, Wyatt started to wonder if he wanted to leave either. Lucy had said she wanted to stay, she had no close family in 2018 and when he thought about it, neither did he. What would stop them from setting up a life in this town, getting into a normal routine, raising kids, holding down normal jobs? The more he thought about it, the happier he was.

“What are you thinking about, Wyatt?” Lucy asked from the chair she was sitting in, a book in her hand. 

“Not much, just thinking about how South Haven has grown on me. I’ve been here a couple weeks and there is still so much to discover, but also feel that I have been here my whole life.”

“I understand,” she said happily, turning back to her book, but glancing at him over the pages. They had gotten closer in the past week, each day with new conversations and learning more about each other. Wyatt always held her hand or arm and on occasion she would surprise him with kisses. He always let her lead in that department, knowing that they had a long way to go before any further intimacy was established, but he was completely satisfied with her lips on his every once in a while.

“Oof,” Lucy wheezed, holding her side. “That hurt.”

Wyatt jumped to her, “What happened, a baby kick?” 

“I don’t know, it was stronger than usual,” she panted. “Could you get me some tea from the kitchen?”

“Okay, I’ll be right back,” Wyatt rushed to the kitchen and bumped into Marthe who took a look at his face and sent him back upstairs, promising to bring the tea herself. 

Lucy was laying on her side on the bed when he got back and her eyes were closed. 

“Lucy,” he whispered. “Are you ok?”

“Yes, I think it went away.” Marthe bustled into the room without knocking and placed the tray on the desk. She knelt next to Lucy and felt her forehead, then touched her belly, holding her hand in place for a few minutes. 

“I have been wondering if the little one would be coming soon,” Marthe said. “But I don’t think it will be today.”

“We are very lucky,” Lucy said. “Marthe has delivered a few babies and has promise to help if something should happen before we get home.”

“I have delivered the babies of babies,” Marthe proudly stated. “I have been doing this a long time. Doctors don’t always understand what women are going through and they need some help from time to time. Now, Mrs. Preston, you rest.” With that, she left the room, closing the door on her way out.

“Wyatt,” Lucy reached for him. “That really scared me and wow, did it hurt.”

Wyatt knelt on the floor next to her and leaned over to rub her lower back where she kept absently reaching. “We need to get you back to 2018. I don’t know what kind of doctors or medicine is in 1927, but it’s not good enough.”

He stood and started to pace. He had been so busy not being busy, he had forgotten that they were running out of time to get Lucy home. She had been so adamant of needing doctors and medicine, he wanted her to be wherever she was most comfortable, it was the least he could do. 

“Do you think we can get a letter to Rufus and tell him to come and get us? How did you do that before, I can write a letter now.” He sat at the desk and found a pencil and paper.

“No, Wyatt, it is fine. I am already feeling better.” Lucy was struggling to sit up and he hurried to help her, pausing to hold her tight and kiss her.

“Sorry if I panicked, I kind of lost it didn’t I?” He sheepishly looked down.

“New dad syndrome, I think it goes with the territory,” Lucy said as she leaned their foreheads together and closed her eyes. “Wyatt, what are we getting into.”

“A lifetime of joy and worry and fun and stress?” Again hoping humor lightened the mood, Wyatt was happy when Lucy laughed. 

“I don’t think it is going to happen again, the baby seems to have settled down and I don’t feel any pain, just general pressure and hugeness, but not pain. Can we eat soon? I am starving.”

“Of course, Mrs. Preston.” Wyatt leaned down and placed the shoes on her feet and got himself ready before pulling her standing.

“Oh Mrs. Preston, we were worried about you!” Mr. Glen exclaimed as they entered the dining room. “How are you feeling?”

“I am fine, thank you.” Wyatt got Lucy seated and Mr. Glen pulled him aside.

“Young man, what is your plan for her to have that baby? We want you to be comfortable, would you prefer a different room or one of the empty cabins? Most of our guests have left for the season and I can move you tomorrow,” he offered.

Wyatt thought for a minute and nodded. “Yes, maybe one of the cabins that is empty. Just in case she does have the baby soon, less noise for the other guests.” Wyatt didn’t think they would still be in 1927 when the baby was born, but a cabin with empty rooms would be beneficial when the team came back. They had told the Glens that their home had been destroyed in a fire and that they were trying to decide if they wanted to settle in South Haven. They had empathized and offered to have a room available as long as Wyatt and Lucy needed it. Mr. Glen had once asked about Lucy’s sister with the red hair, but Wyatt brushed it off, telling him she was trouble but long gone and wouldn’t be an issue. He was still worried, though, and having a cabin with a room on the first floor and control over who was in and out would also make Wyatt feel more comfortable about Lucy’s safety. He nodded again and shook Mr. Glen’s hand. “Thank you so much for all you have done, sir.”

“Good people help good people, son.” 

Wyatt watched him walk away and swallowed past the lump in his throat. The Glens had welcomed them into their homes and had made both Lucy and Wyatt so comfortable, he needed to figure out a way to help them so they could be ready to retire and relax themselves. Mr. Glen had commented that they were getting older with no one to help other than some hired hands here or there. Wyatt was sure that he and Lucy could do something to make their lives easier. 

He sat with Lucy and told her what he was thinking. She agreed immediately and they spent their dinner trying to remember pieces of economic history that might help the Glens. Feeling better and more relaxed, Wyatt and Lucy walked down to the lighthouse after dinner, holding hands and looking at the stars. 

“What do you want to name the baby?” Wyatt asked Lucy.

“Hmm, I had thought about Amelia. Close to ‘Amy’ but not the same. Now, I am not sure. What would you name her?”

“I hadn’t thought about it until I asked,” he admitted. “I didn’t think that men got much say in the matter. Maybe name her after someone we have met over the past year?”

“Maybe,” Lucy sighed. “Wyatt, do you find yourself forgetting why we are here and about all the problems back in 2018?”

Wyatt thought for a moment then answered. “Most of the time I don’t think about it, but I also can’t get rid of this shadow that I feel is hanging over us. Like all of our time is borrowed and it’s coming due. I keep waiting for something bad to happen and until Emma is gone, I don’t think that will go away.”

Lucy was quiet, but sighed and turned into him. She rested her head on his chest and they stood for a while in the cold air, just holding onto the moments. She lifted her face and he kissed her gently, but when she touched his face, he felt himself wanting more and he wrapped his fingers in her hair, not caring that it made her hat loose and almost fall, just knowing he needed to kiss her and forget that this would be over soon. 

Someone coughed politely to remind them that they were on a street with other couples walking, instead of somewhere alone. Wyatt turned towards the cough and said, “Apologies, got carried away.”

“I understand, son, we used to be the same way,” an older gentleman with a grey haired lady on his arm smirked and they continued walking. Wyatt recognized him and Lucy whispered that he was in charge of loans at the local bank. Wyatt filed that information away in his mind and placed Lucy’s hand on his arm as they continued to walk, taking longer than usual. When they got ready for bed that night, Lucy laid on her side and Wyatt laid behind her so he could drape an arm over her belly and breathe in the scent of her hair. 

In the morning, Mrs. Glen helped Lucy pack their things and Mr. Glen and Wyatt cleaned out the floor level room in the next cabin. Mr. Glen shared how he had a farm, but when his son died in the Great War, he and Marthe thought it was too lonely, so they decided to build a place where others could visit and they would always have company. Wyatt asked questions about heating and plumbing, trying to soak in as much knowledge as he could in case the next couple days got colder and they needed some home conveniences. Lucy and Marthe were carrying a couple bags to the cabin and Mr. Glen patted Wyatt on the shoulder.

“You’ve got a good one, son. I haven’t seen a couple that fit each other so well in ages, not since I met my Marthe.”

“Thank you for saying that, sir.”

“If my boy would have survived, I can imagine he would have been like you. Tough, but a good heart inside. I would be real proud of that.”

“And if I would have had a father around, I would have been grateful to have one like you, sir.”

“Well, I guess it is lucky for both of us to have met then.” Mr. Glen patted his shoulder again and went to grab an ax to cut some firewood, which Wyatt took from him and spent the next hour chopping. He knew when his side ached that it wasn’t the smartest thing, but while he was here, he would do anything he could to help the man and if that meant a few stitches got loose, then that was fine. 

He and Lucy spent the afternoon putting their things away and trying to get comfortable in the new surroundings. It looked almost the same, but without the noise from the kitchen, seemed a little lonely.

After they had come back from dinner, Lucy commented first, “I miss the Glens.” Wyatt agreed and was walking to the back door to lock it when he heard a noise from the kitchen. Lucy rose and Wyatt motioned for her to sit down. He had placed the few guns Flynn had left him around the first floor, so they could be hidden from view but easily accessed by someone who needed them.

He grabbed one from under a cushion and held it up as he slowly walked to the kitchen. Opening the door, he saw only moonlight hitting the pots and pans on the counter. “Wyatt!” Lucy screamed and his vision went dark.

Wyatt woke up on the floor, with one arm handcuffed to the heating stove that sat in the main living area. Lucy was sitting on the couch, clutching a handkerchief, her eyes full of tears as she watched him. Emma was sitting at the other lounge chair, grinning widely.

“I can’t believe I found you,” she smirked. “It took a lot longer than I would have liked, but better late than never, right?”


	27. Time to be Finished

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma has Wyatt and Lucy alone in a cabin, finally able to get revenge and Wyatt has to get them out without hurting Lucy or the baby.

“Leave Lucy alone,” he warned. “Leave or I will kill you.”

“Ha!” Emma crowed. “Kill me? You mean like you killed Carol and Jessica? And all my men. You know, you act high and mighty, but your body count is higher than mine, Logan.”

“I didn’t kill Jessica.”

“But she went there to get to you, so no matter who pulled the trigger, you were the driving force. I really liked her too. We were like sisters, the girls of Rittenhouse. She was one of the first people I met there and she was nice to me,” she sighed. “But now she is gone and I am all that is left of the true Rittenhouse followers. Everyone always put so much faith in the Princess; that she would suddenly come around, but she never did. Now, I get to kill her and that bastard baby, which will wipe out the Cahill and Preston lines and who else is left to rebuild, but me. There will be no one around to get in my way of being at the top of a new and improved Rittenhouse. All that talk about ‘blood being so important’ and ‘who you were born is what decides your place in the organization’, someone like me never had a chance, but now I am the savior and I will bring us back to the top.”

“The top of what, Emma? Rittenhouse is gone, it is over. Rufus and Flynn will find you and end all of it.” Wyatt assessed the room, remembering where he had hidden the rest of the guns and looking for a pin or nail to unlock his handcuffs. Lucy was watching him and nodded, knowing what he was looking for and ready to help him. 

“You are crazy,” Lucy shouted at Emma. “You could kill everyone in the world and you still are just a psychotic loser who is worth nothing.”

“I am NOT crazy. I am angry and annoyed, but not crazy,” Emma stood and started to pace the room which gave Lucy the chance to throw her handkerchief at Wyatt who caught it with his free hand. While he thought Lucy was wringing her hands, she was actually working two staples into the lining of the cloth, exactly what he needed to get free. When Emma turned back, Wyatt and Lucy stared at her, waiting. “Get up.” She screamed to Lucy. Lucy struggled and so Emma pushed her onto the ground. “God are you are so big, you can’t even stand up, how pathetic.” 

“I hate you,” Lucy whispered.

“What was that?” Emma teased as she leaned down. She grabbed Lucy’s arm and brought her up to her knees and said, “Say that to my face.” Wyatt frantically tried to get the handcuff unlocked. Emma was a killer, but rarely lost her composure the way she was now. 

“Emma, dammit! Where are your other friends? Because I promise you, if you touch her again you are going to need help.” Wyatt threatened, trying to pull her focus and get her away from Lucy.

“Didn’t you hear me, Wyatt? Everyone is gone. It is just me and that ship,” she said with tears in her eyes. “You took everything from me, which is why I will take everything from you.” With that she pushed Lucy to Wyatt and Lucy fell onto her side. She gasped and clutched at her belly as she crawled to sit next to Wyatt.

“Wyatt, I am sorry,” Lucy said as she gripped his hand and looked at him. “I wish we had more time.”

“Me too, Lucy,” he kissed her gently. “I love you, no matter what happens, remember I love you.”

“Stop it, please,” Emma interrupted and shot the gun into the ceiling. “I am sorry but I am out of patience and you are out of time. Lucy, say goodbye. Wyatt, I am going to kill her first so I can watch the look on your face before I kill you too.” 

“Wyatt,” Lucy said as she closed her eyes and held his hand tighter. “It’s okay. I am ready, it’s going to be okay.”

Emma sighed and cocked the gun. Wyatt lunged to cover Lucy as a shot rang out. Lucy screamed and Wyatt’s heart dropped and he heard something hit the floor. He held Lucy tighter and heard her gasp.

“You alright, son?” Mr. Glen’s voice cut through the silence. 

“Mr. Glen?” Wyatt asked and lifted his head. There was smoke in the room from the gun shot and Mr. Glen stood in the doorway. “How did you know?”

“We could hear the shouting at the Maple Cabin, so I grabbed my shotgun and came over. This lady sure was angry, but she’s not much of anything now.” 

Wyatt looked at Lucy who was sitting still, her expression dazed. “Lucy, are you hurt?”

“Wyatt, I am fine. Is she dead?”

“I think so,” Mr. Glen answered. “But probably will need to have someone come and check her out.”

“Lucy, can you help get me out of these?” Lucy handed him the staple from her handkerchief. Wyatt quickly got himself unlocked and moved to inspect Emma. Her eyes were closed and she had a hole in her chest. He pushed the gun away from her outstretched hand and felt for a pulse. When he didn’t find one, he sat back on his heels and sighed as he looked at Mr. Glen. “She is gone, sir. This woman has chased us and killed people all throughout time, we are finally free of her and all the evil she represented.” 

Lucy was still seated near the stove, but he heard her sob and crawled to her. “Wyatt, it’s over. It is finally over.” 

“Mrs. Preston!” Marthe had arrived with one of the men from the butcher shop and another man that worked in the ship yard. “I ran and called in the street for help. These two were coming out of the billiard hall and agreed to help.” Wyatt stood and helped Lucy up, then shook hands with the men and pulled Mr. Glen over to them. Marthe had helped Lucy into a chair and was brushing her hair back with her hand.

“This woman is Mrs. Preston’s sister,” Wyatt said, continuing the story Jiya had started a couple weeks ago. “She is not a good person and while we do not care for her, she will need buried. I don’t know where to go or who to ask.” 

“You go back to the Maple Cabin, we will take care of it,” Mr. Glen promised, but Wyatt and Lucy declined, deciding to stay with the Glen’s.

The two men with him agreed and one went to gather a cloth to cover Emma’s body while the other went to find the local policeman. When the policeman arrived, he asked a few questions, but with Mr. and Mrs. Glen’s corroboration, there wasn’t anything else to do but take a few notes and send the body to the mortuary. 

Finally, Wyatt and Lucy gathered a few items and walked with Marthe to the Maple Cabin, having agreed to take back their old room until the new cabin could get cleaned again, they heard a rushing sound and the wind picked up.

“Do you think?” Lucy asked.

“It would have been nice if they could have gotten here a few hours ago,” Wyatt rolled his eyes. They sent Marthe ahead, stating they needed a moment and were standing by the cold fire pit when their friends burst through the edge of the woods.


	28. Time for New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wyatt and Lucy are tired but the night isn't over yet. The Time Team arrives for the biggest event of them all!

“Wyatt, Lucy! Emma is here,” Rufus cried as he rushed to stand in front of them. Flynn already had a gun in his hand and was pointing it in every direction as though danger was in each shadow.

“Guys, guys,” Wyatt held up his hands as Lucy was enveloped by Rufus’s long arms in a hug. “Emma was here and she is gone.”

“Gone, well where did she go?” Flynn demanded.

“No, she is gone, gone. Dead. For good. You can go in that cabin and see for yourself.” He pointed to where the lights were still shining and Flynn took off. They waited in silence until he came back and with a deep sigh, nodded his head and wiped at his eyes as though suddenly exhausted.

“What happened?”

“She attacked us and our friend Mr. Glen heard the commotion, came to help and shot her before she could shoot Lucy. He saved our lives.”

Flynn stood still for a moment, then moved to Wyatt and hugged him. Not knowing what to do, Wyatt clapped his back and cleared his throat.

“I am just glad you are both here.” Flynn commented and began to walk back to the woods.

“Where are you going? You just got here!” Cried Lucy.

“We have a surprise for you,” Flynn called over his back.

“Let’s get you inside Lucy, it’s really cold out here,” Wyatt pulled off his coat and placed it on her shoulders. She leaned into him as they walked to the main cabin and listened to Rufus explain that they saw Emma time jump, but that a storm had knocked out Connor’s power and they couldn’t track Emma for a while. Eventually, they found a library nearby with power and realizing she jumped to Michigan, followed her to South Haven. 

“Mrs. Preston, you have to warm up, this isn’t good for you,” Marthe explained as she put a pot of hot tea on the table in front of Lucy, watching while she drank. Lucy’s shivering slowly died down to Marthe’s satisfaction and she left to get rooms ready for additional guests. 

“So, how are you feeling, both of you?” Rufus asked, concerned.

“I am much better, healing more every day. Lucy has been doing fine, lots of healthy eating, walking, naps, and fresh air.”

“Basically a luxury vacation in 1927?”

“Pretty much,” Lucy laughed then dropped her tea cup as she held her side. “Off. That hurt.”

“Lucy,” Wyatt said. “Is it happening again?” 

When she nodded, Wyatt yelled, “Mrs. Glen! Lucy needs you.” Marthe rushed in at the same time Jiya and Agent Christopher came through the door. Wyatt held Lucy’s hand and she gripped it so tightly he thought it might break.

“What are you doing here?” Lucy exclaimed.

“We wanted to surprise you, but Agent Christopher had to promise Michelle she wouldn’t get involved in anything dangerous,” Jiya started. 

“Even though I am fine!” Denise interjected.

“So we waited in the Lifeboat until the worst was finished. We wanted to see you and Denise hasn’t time traveled so this seemed like a good spot to start,” Jiya laughed and hugged Lucy who seemed to forget the pain from a few minutes ago.

“I am so happy to see you,” Lucy cried and she put an arm around each of the women. “Thank you for being here. Ahhh!” And she doubled over again.

“Mrs. Preston, we need to get you upstairs,” Marthe commanded. “All of you, pick rooms, the top floor is open. Mr. Preston, you bring your wife.”

Without hesitating, Wyatt lifted Lucy into his arms and marched her upstairs, terrified at what he knew was happening. The Time Team followed behind and scrambled for rooms. Denise quickly dropped her jacket in one then joined Marthe as they helped Lucy change into a loose nightgown, but knowing what was happening and that they needed to be ready.

“Where did this nightgown come from?” Panted Lucy.

“I’ve been paying attention to what you had been washing and no-where was an appropriate gown to have a baby in. If you were still here when the time came, I didn’t want to be unprepared so I started to gather things,” Marthe said as she buttoned the buttons on the front of the gown.

“Thank you, Mrs. Glen,” Lucy whispered as tears fell. “You are the kindest women I have ever met.”

“Lucy, I don’t know what to do,” Wyatt whispered, frozen against the wall.

“Just hold her hand,” Denise said. “Lucy, we are all here for you. Do we need a doctor?”

“There is one nearby, but I don’t think we will have time,” Marthe said. “And I have delivered hundreds of babies. You,” she pointed at Jiya who was hovering in the door. “Tell the men what is happening and that they stay downstairs, then boil some water and bring it up to us with clean linens from the closet.”

Wyatt couldn’t believe what was happening. After the night they had, with Emma, and the teams return, they needed rest, but instead Lucy was about to have a baby. He didn’t think he be any more scared then he had been when Emma held the gun to Lucy’s head, but this was worse. He knelt next to Lucy who was on her back on the bed, panting. 

“Oh God,” Lucy cried. “It’s another one.” And she doubled over, holding her side. “It hurts so badly.”

“Lucy, you can do this!” Denise said from her other side. “Wyatt, rub her back. Lucy, remember the classes you and Jiya took. Breathe through the pain. In and out, in and out.” Her calm voice helped Lucy focus and she nodded to her, unable to speak.

Marthe was checking Lucy’s progress and put her hand on her stomach. “It is going to be a fast one.” She warned. 

“Lucy, this isn’t supposed to happen here. You wanted doctors and drugs,” Wyatt said quietly.

“It’s alright, as long as she is healthy,” Lucy said, her voice rising on every word until she cried out. “Marthe, what is happening?” She asked.

“Your water has broken and I can see the baby is starting to move closer,” Marthe said as she draped a blanket over Lucy’s legs. “Have her move onto her back, we need her to get ready to push.”  


“How is this happening so fast?” Wyatt cried. “I thought women went into labor for hours.”

“Not every woman, Wyatt,” Agent Christopher said. “I was in labor for 6 total, from first contraction to the delivery. Sometimes it just goes fast, babies come when they are ready. Lucy did you have contractions at all today?”

“I felt one when Emma was at the cabin. I didn’t tell her, I thought she might do something if I did. I thought it was another false alarm, I am sorry I didn’t say anything.” 

“It’s okay, Lucy. It’s going to be okay. You are going to be a mom today,” Wyatt whispered in her ear. “Just hold onto us, we got you.”

Denise had positioned herself on one side of Lucy while Wyatt stayed on the other. Jiya brought in the hot water and towels, then knelt behind Denise, making motions with her hands and breathing with Lucy. Wyatt thought of something and stood, ran to the door then down the steps. He walked up to Rufus and yanked his arm, grabbing the watch off his wrist. Rufus just shook his head, shocked at the turn of events.

“Tell her we love her and good luck,” Rufus said and Wyatt clapped him on the back before running upstairs. 

As scared as he was, he was also excited. He had only had a few weeks to come to terms with being a parent, but he couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms and be the dad he never got to have. When Wyatt walked through the door, Lucy was crying out again. He checked the time and went to his position next to her, rubbing her shoulders and whispering encouragement in her ear. When the next contraction hit, he checked his watch again.

“One minute apart,” he said. “You are getting close, Lucy. You can do this. I’m here.”

“I don’t know if I can,” she cried. “I need a doctor, I need drugs. Please Wyatt, take me back home.”

“We can’t go home now, Lucy,” he apologized.

“If I wouldn’t have been hurt, I would have known we needed to get back here sooner. I don’t know how I lost track of that time,” Denise shook her head.

“Agent Christopher, we were fine here. This is still early, you wouldn’t have known,” Wyatt said.

“When we are done with this, you will need to tell me more about where you are from,” Marthe said from the foot of the bed. 

Wyatt shrugged at Denise and Jiya, who laughed. They kept forgetting that others were not aware of their time traveling experiences and wouldn’t understand most of what they talked about. Lucy cried out and Wyatt checked his watch, “30 seconds.” 

“I need to push,” Lucy panted. Her face had turned red and she was covered in sweat and tears. Jiya had pulled her hair back into a pony tail to keep it off her face and Wyatt kissed her forehead. 

“Lucy you are beautiful,” he whispered.

“I hate you,” she laughed then her body clenched again and she squeezed his hand tightly. “No really, I hate you, you did this to me.”

Wyatt’s jaw dropped and he started to move away, when Marthe laughed. “They all say that, Mr. Preston. Don’t go anywhere.”

“No they don’t all say that, I say that and I mean it,” Lucy yelled then cried out again. “I have to push.”

“Lucy, I am sorry, but I am here and I will make this up to you,” he promised.

“Mrs. Preston, you can push,” Marthe said as she got ready with utensils Wyatt couldn’t name or describe and leaned onto the bed. “You push when you are ready.”

“I am ready, now!” She screamed. “Oh god, it hurts, Wyatt. I am sorry, it hurts.”

“Rest, rest for a minute,” Marthe said. “I can see the baby coming, but it will take a few more pushes, so you need to rest.”

“You are doing great, Lucy,” Denise encouraged.

“Lucy, I am so proud of you,” Jiya added.

Wyatt took a towel and wiped her face and neck while she leaned her head back against the pillows. “I love you so much.”

“I have to push,” Lucy cried. “Okay, now!” 

She pushed again and Marthe nodded. “A few more and the babe will be here.”

“Wyatt,” Lucy said as she laid back again. “I am sorry.”

“Sorry for what? Being the more amazing woman I have ever met, being strong, smart, beautiful, and brave?”

“No. I have to push again,” she cried.

“Try pushing for longer this time,” Marthe said. “It will help if you can hold the push just for a few seconds.”

Lucy nodded and started to bear down. “Wyatt,” she panted. “Wyatt, I love you so much. And this is so cliché to say this now.”

“Lucy, it is perfect,” he said, tears in his eyes. “I love you, now push.”

Lucy pushed and screamed at the same time. “It’s happening.”

Wyatt held her arm and heard Marthe shout with joy. “It’s here! And it is a girl!” Wyatt heard a high pitched cry and leaned forward to see a squirming mass of red in Marthe’s arms.  
Wyatt stayed at Lucy’s side and kissed her head and lips and Denise moved forward to help Marthe with the baby. “Lucy you did it.”

She was laying back on the pillows, panting and smiled at him. “I am so tired.” 

“I now, baby. I love you. I love you so much.” The crying was getting stronger with each second and Denise walked around Marthe with a bundle in her arms. 

“You want to hold her, Mamma?”

“Yes,” Lucy held out her arms and took the baby, holding her tight against her skin. “She is beautiful.”

“What will you name her?” Denise asked.

“We don’t know yet,” Wyatt admitted. He was crying freely now and didn’t care who saw. He laid on the bed next to Lucy and put his arm around her and the baby. “Lucy, we have a baby.” It still was a shock to see the baby in Lucy’s arms and know that it was his. He moved the blanket back to see the baby’s face better and she opened her eyes to look at him, they were startling blue, just like his.

“Go tell Charles, Mr. Glen, that the baby is here,” Marthe instructed Jiya who secretly had pulled out her cell phone and was taking pictures. “He might have a small old bottle of whiskey just for this occasion. Shhhhh.” She laughed. “Will they take an old couple to jail for a small glass of whiskey?” 

“Charles,” Lucy whispered. “He saved our lives tonight. Wyatt, what about Charlotte?”

“It’s perfect,” he said. “Hello Charlotte Preston, we are so happy you are here.” He kissed Lucy on the lips and she moved the baby into his arms. He took her and stood, walking around and patting her back. “Do you want to go meet your family?” He looked at Lucy who nodded, she was being taken care of by Marthe and Denise, so Wyatt walked down the stairs with the baby in his arms.

As he walked into the room, Rufus and Flynn jumped from their chairs and crowded around him, ready to meet his baby girl.


	29. Time to Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wyatt and Lucy decide what to do with the rest of their lives.

“Hey guys, this is Charlotte Preston. Charlotte, meet your Uncle Rufus and Uncle Flynn,” Wyatt whispered and he held her up for them to see.

“Wow,” Rufus whispered. “She looks like a perfect combination of you and Lucy. Good work, brother.”

Wyatt grinned and nodded. Flynn softly touched her cheek, “You have big shoes to fill, little one. You have a very brave mom and dad.” His voice broke on the last word and Wyatt knew he was thinking of his own daughter. 

“You want to hold her?” Wyatt offered. He didn’t want to let her go, but when Flynn smiled, he knew he made a good choice. He gently handed her over and Rufus gave him a big hug as Flynn started humming a lullaby. 

“Well, son, how did she do?” Mr. Glen had joined the group from the kitchen and held four glasses in one hand and a bottle of amber liquid in the other. Wyatt took the baby back from Flynn and walked her over to Mr. Glen.

“Mr. Charles Glen,” Wyatt said. “Meet your namesake, Charlotte Preston.”

“Charlotte?” Mr. Glen gulped.

“Her or her mother wouldn’t be here without you, it is only right she bears the name of such a brave man.” Mr. Glen’s head bobbed as tears formed in his eyes. 

“Thank you, son.”

Charlotte’s eyes had been drifting closed, but popped open suddenly and she let out a shrill cry. Wyatt looked at Flynn who chuckled. “Take her back to her mother, Wyatt. She’s hungry.”

Feeling foolish, Wyatt turned pink and groaned in embarrassment as he walked quickly up the stairs. Lucy was alone in the room resting and her eyes were closed, but when she heard the cries, she opened them and smiled, holding her arms out. Wyatt put Charlotte in her arms and watched in amazement as Lucy began to nurse her. Such a natural thing to see his daughter contentedly against her mother. He sat next to Lucy and as he put his arm around her, she snuggled into him.

“I love you, Wyatt.” 

“Are you sure?” Wyatt whispered into her hair, afraid to believe it was true. “I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve you, or any of this.” 

“We all make mistakes. No matter how much I hurt, I always knew that something was going to keep us together. I thought it would just be the baby, but our time here has been everything I hoped that we could be.”

“Lucy, I love you so much. I will spend the rest of my life making sure you and Charlotte are safe and cared for. I haven’t been able to let you go, because deep down, I think I always knew this was my future. I couldn’t have hoped for it, but now that we are here it feels like it was always meant to be.”

Charlotte had squirmed and Lucy held her up, patting her back gently. “Wyatt, do you really love me?” Lucy smiled as she said it.

“Yes, a million times yes.”

“Then would you change the first diaper?” Lucy laughed as she said it and Wyatt tried to look annoyed, but couldn’t. He laughed with her and took Charlotte from her arms. 

“I will, but I don’t know how? And it’s 1927, I think that they use cloth diapers, right? I’m going to find Mrs. Glen.” He went off to find someone to help him change his daughter’s diaper, happier then he thought he had ever been, even with the stinky baby in his arms. 

Through the night, Wyatt stayed by Lucy’s side, holding the baby so she could sleep and gently waking her when Charlotte got hungry. By dawn, he could barely keep his eyes open and he started to doze off when he heard loud noises from the first floor. Lucy was sleeping with the baby in a basket resembling a bassinette next to her. Wyatt vaguely remembered Marthe bringing it in and stating her son had slept in something similar, that babies didn’t move too much and it would keep her safe until they could get to the general store for more baby items. 

He yawned as he walked down the stairs, shaking his head as he heard Flynn singing a song he didn’t recognize, clearly drunk. In fact, they all seemed drunk. Flynn waving around singing, Jiya and Rufus passed out on the couch, Denise leaning in her chair giggling at the scene, and Mr. Glen with his head resting on the table, the bottle in his hand.

“Having fun?” He asked. “You are all hammered!”

“We are celebrating, Wyatt. Do you realize, they are all gone? Rittenhouse is done. No one is left and we can rest. That is cause to celebrate!” His voice rose on every word and Wyatt shushed him. Flynn growled, then laughed and laid down on the other couch. Within seconds, he was out.

“Neither Jiya or I have had a drink,” Denise corrected. “I am still recovering and Jiya didn’t want to take chances of getting arrested. Prohibition is still in place here.” Wyatt nodded and sat across from her at the table, careful not to disrupt Mr. Glen. “So how are you doing, daddy?”

Wyatt thought before speaking. “It is the most amazing thing I have ever felt in my life. I thought I knew what it was like to love someone with Jessica, then I fell in love with Lucy over these crazy missions, and even though I screwed up all of that, I still felt it all the time. But this, it is overwhelming how much I love that baby.”

“It happens so fast, huh?” Denise smiled. “The first time I held my son in my arms, I thought my heart would literally explode. The world stopped and my life changed forever.”

“Does that feeling ever go away?”

“There will be bad days, Wyatt. Days when the baby screams all night and you think you are going crazy, days where your kid screams in a store and everyone stares at you like you are the worst parent in the world, and days where your kid will tell you that you are the worst parent in the world. But the good days will always outweigh the bad. The good days make it all worth it. My advice is to store up these good days and hold them close. Hold Lucy close too.” She said with a knowing look. “Yes, I heard the ‘I love you’s’ when the baby was being born.”

Wyatt blushed. “It was a long time coming. I have loved her for a while, it just got out of control. But I do love her so much, I can’t imagine life without her.”

“I know that, Wyatt. I haven’t been on these missions, but I have heard how her safety always came first and don’t think I am blind to those puppy dog eyes all over the bunker. Those kind of things just showed me that under all that disaster and mess, you did care.”

“Thank you, Agent Christopher. For being here for this, for everything.”

“You are welcome Master Sargent Logan, or Mr. Preston, I guess!” She laughed. “Now, I will go up and stay with Lucy, you need some sleep. Go get some rest.” 

Wyatt realized she was right and he was about to drop. He plodded up the stairs and took the empty room next to his and Lucy’s, wanting to be close by in case anything happened. He didn’t even bother to take off his shoes and was asleep within minutes of his head hitting the pillow.

Wyatt woke to the smell of coffee and yawned. He jumped up, remembering all that had happened and that he was a dad, needing to check on his ladies. He rushed to the next room and it was empty of Lucy or the baby, so he ran down the steps to find the whole group eating dinner in the kitchen. At the entrance to the door, he realized it was not breakfast coffee, but after dinner coffee he had smelled and that he was starving, but more importantly, his whole life was in the room laughing and talking together.

Mr. Glen sat at the head of the table, with Denise on one side and Flynn on the other. Next to Denise was Jiya and then Rufus with Mrs. Glen at the opposite end of the table. Next to her was Lucy, holding Charlotte. There was an empty seat between Lucy and Flynn, which Wyatt assumed was his, so he slid into it with a smile.

“Finally awake, son?” Mr. Glen greeted him with a smile.

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” Flynn teased with an elbow to his ribs.

“Hey,” Lucy leaned over for a kiss, which Wyatt happily obliged before loading his plate with roast beef and potatoes.

“So, Mr. and Mrs. Preston,” Mrs. Glen started. “What are your plans now that the baby is here?” The room got silent and Wyatt’s fork paused mid-way to his mouth. He hadn’t thought too much about it, but already knew he would do anything Lucy wanted. 

Lucy looked at him, then at the baby. “I guess I don’t know.” She started carefully. “We should probably go home. My work is there, I wouldn’t mind getting back to my classes and my students. There are things we probably need to finish.” She looked to Wyatt and then they heard a sniffle and they both turned. Mrs. Glen had a handkerchief held to her eyes.

“I don’t want you to leave, but I understand,” she said as she stood and left the room. 

Mr. Glen apologized. “Don’t mind her, we just got used to having you around. It is going to get real quiet around here. I’ll just go check on her. You folks keep talking.” And he left to find Marthe.

“Wyatt, we need to talk about this,” Lucy said. “What if we stayed here?”

“What? You can’t stay here!” Rufus whispered loudly. “It is 1927, you know how much not great stuff is going to be happening.” 

“Which is why we could stay here,” Lucy countered. “We know what to avoid!”

“Lucy,” Jiya argued. “Do you really think you could not be around Wifi, hot showers, microwaves, all the conveniences we have in 2018? For what?”

“For some peace and quiet,” Wyatt commented. “It is beautiful here. We could make a home for Charlotte. Away from so many of the bad things we have in our time.” Lucy smiled widely at him.

“Wyatt, do you realize,” Denise started. “We are destroying the machines when we get back. If we leave you here, NO one can come and help you again. You will be on your own. If you get sick or hurt, no modern medicine, World War II is coming, the great depression. Things you can’t avoid and we can’t rescue you from.”

“We don’t want to be rescued. Like Lucy said, we know what to avoid and what to do to make sure we are covered.”

“I think you should stay,” Flynn said quietly. All heads turned towards him and he looked at Charlotte in Lucy’s arms. “If I had the chance to start over with my family, in a place like this by the water, with fresh air and good food. I would take it. Hell, if my family was alive, I would bring them back here too.”

“Do you promise?” Lucy said earnestly.

“Sure, but we know that my family is gone.”

Lucy looked at Wyatt. “We need to talk some more tonight, because I think this needs to be figured out soon. Can you give us until tomorrow?” Wyatt nodded and the rest of the team slowly started to shake their heads. Lucy stood and Wyatt finished his last bite then held her arm as they walked back to their room. 

After she got settled, Lucy fed Charlotte and Wyatt offered to watch her through the night. She had put the new bassinette next to her side of the bed and Wyatt drug the chair closer. Lucy told him her thoughts about staying and how she knew it sounded crazy, but that she also didn’t want to leave. Wyatt thought of the Glen’s and how the short amount of time they had spent together, this was an ideal place to raise a family. 

“What if we went to 2018 for a week, then came back?” He said. “As a compromise. Make sure all the loose ends are tied up and we can just relax.”

“There isn’t anything left for me there. I have enough books to read and with the baby, I think I will be busy. Charlotte has made me realize, I don’t need all of that excess, all that junk, all the stuff. If I have you and Charlotte here, I am happy.”

“Then I am happy here too, I don’t ever want to be apart from you.”

“Well,” Lucy smirked. “How about I compromise? You go back for one last trip, get all the supplies I can think of, then we stay here forever.”

“Is that cheating?” He laughed. “I would be gone for a couple hours. Now that we have the Mothership, we don’t need to wait for it to recharge.”

“It is cheating, but bring me a paper and pencil, I am going to start a list.”


End file.
